Why did the ancients think that the solstice in winter was an auspicious day?

According to the ancient theory of Yin and Yang, Yin Qi is the most abundant in winter, almost reaching its peak when it is coldest, and its qi is pure Yin. Because the height of the sun is the lowest in a year, the sunshine is the southernmost and the sunshine time is the shortest, so it is the coldest.

But the arrival of the coldest day also indicates that the sun be the spirit will be generated soon and the weather will start to get warmer. As the saying goes, extremes meet, and then it will be too late. Therefore, the winter solstice is memorable, because it is the node of extreme cold and the beginning of spring.

Extended data

According to historical records, the winter solstice is the first month of the Zhou and Qin Dynasties. It means the beginning of a new year. The ancients believed that the winter solstice was the beginning of the next cold and warm cycle and it was a good day. As important as "the first day of the first month", it is also called "off-year".

Taking the winter solstice as a holiday began in the Han Dynasty, prevailed in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and has been passed down to this day. We can also get a glimpse of the ancient people's understanding and cultural interpretation of the winter solstice from some "winter solstice poems" written by poets in Tang and Song Dynasties.