Does anyone know the origin of the winter solstice? Can anyone tell me the customs of the winter solstice?

1. The origin of the winter solstice

It is said that the winter solstice solar term was first measured by the Duke of Zhou using the Tugui method. As early as 3,000 years ago, the Duke of Zhou began to use the Tugui method to measure the shadow. Luoyi in Henan measured its position in the world and determined it to be the middle of the earth.

According to legend, "Winter Solstice" was the first one of the 24 solar terms (time average method) measured by Duke Zhou. Therefore, it is said that the Winter Solstice is the first of the 24 solar terms.

The purpose of "Tugui Scenery Measurement" is to find "Tuzhong" (the center of the country). The essence of this method is that "the tree is eight feet tall. On the summer solstice, the scene is five feet long; on the winter solstice, the scene is one foot, three feet, five inches long." , the shadow of the sun at noon is 1.5 feet, and the shadow of the sun at noon on the winter solstice is 13.5 feet), "Measure the depth of the soil, correct the shadow of the sun, find the center of the ground, and check the four seasons." What is measured using this method is the theoretical position of Luoyang and Luoyi "in the soil". ?

2. Winter Solstice customs:

(1) Winter Solstice customs of worshiping ancestors

In the folk, there is a custom of worshiping ancestors on the Winter Solstice. The ceremony of worshiping ancestors during the Winter Solstice is the same as worshiping ancestors on New Year's Day. While worshiping their ancestors, people also pay homage to their parents and elders. In ancient times, there was a custom of presenting shoes and socks to the elderly. This custom is still very popular in modern times. There is a proverb in Fujian and Taiwan, "Winter Solstice celebrates the New Year, and no ("no" means) you return without your ancestors." All people who go out to make a living must rush back to their hometown to celebrate the New Year during the Winter Solstice, which means they have a destination at the end of the year.

(2) The custom of eating dumplings on the Winter Solstice

Eating dumplings on the Winter Solstice is to remember the kindness of the "Medical Saint" Zhang Zhongjing's "Quhan Jiao Er Soup". To this day, there is still a folk song in Nanyang that "if you don't bring dumpling bowls during the winter solstice, your ears will freeze off and no one will care". Every year on the winter solstice of the lunar calendar, dumplings are an essential holiday meal for everyone, rich or poor. A proverb goes: "On October 1st, when the winter solstice arrives, every household eats dumplings." This custom was left in memory of the "Medical Saint" Zhang Zhongjing who gave up medicine during the winter solstice.

(3) The custom of eating wontons during the Winter Solstice

In the past, there was a saying in old Beijing: "Winter Solstice Wontons and Summer Solstice Noodles". According to legend, during the Han Dynasty, the Huns from the north often harassed the frontiers and the people had no peace. At that time, there were two leaders in the Xiongnu tribe, the Hun clan and the Tun clan, who were very ferocious. The people hated it so much that they used meat fillings to wrap it into wontons and called them "wontons" after taking the sounds of "hun" and "tun". He eats his hatred and hopes to quell the war and live a peaceful life. Because wontons were first made on the winter solstice, every household eats wontons on the winter solstice.