What is the custom of winter solstice?

There is a saying in many places that "the solstice in winter is as big as a year", which leads to many customs, mainly in diet, such as eating dog meat, wonton, jiaozi, glutinous rice balls, red bean porridge, millet rice cakes, wine making and so on. In some places, there is also a winter solstice to worship ancestors.

There is also the custom of family reunion and eating red beans and glutinous rice on the night of winter solstice. There is another story. According to legend, there was a man named * * *, whose son Gong died in the winter and became an epidemic ghost, which continued to harm the people.

However, this epidemic ghost is most afraid of red beans, so people cook red bean rice on the solstice in winter, which can drive away epidemic ghosts and prevent diseases. In addition, some places also eat rice cakes, buckwheat noodles, nine-layer cakes and so on. And "cake" and "high" are homophonic, meaning to rise step by step.

Eating dog meat on the solstice in winter is very popular in many places. It is said that this started from the Han Dynasty. According to legend, Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu, ate dog meat cooked by Fan Wei on the solstice of winter, which was particularly delicious and full of praise. Therefore, the folk formed the custom of eating dog meat in winter solstice. Whether this legend is reliable or not, eating a little dog meat in winter can really drive away the cold and keep warm.