"“North wind returns, cold again and again, sparse trees sway in the sky, half green, half yellow.” The Start of Winter is a solar term, when all things wither, and winter quietly arrives. So, what about the date of the Start of Winter in 2019? The first month of winter is called Mengdong, which refers to the tenth lunar month each year. Want to know everything about the tenth lunar month? Come and check out Huayi.com.

Should we eat dumplings on the Start of Winter?

After the Start of Winter, it means that the winter season officially begins this year. Grass and trees wither, hibernating insects rest, and all activities of nature tend to stop. Although humans don't hibernate, there is a traditional custom of "nourishing the body" on the Start of Winter. The proverb "“Nourish yourself on the Start of Winter, and fill your mouth”" is the best metaphor. The Start of Winter signifies entering a cold season, and people tend to eat food that can keep them warm. In the south, people eat foods that are rich in yin and yang, high in calories, such as chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Some even cook them with traditional Chinese medicine to enhance the effects of medicinal nourishment.
In the north, there is a tradition of eating dumplings on the Start of Winter. In the north, the rule on the Start of Winter is to eat dumplings, because dumplings resemble ears, and people believe that by eating them, their ears won't get frostbitten in winter. On the Start of Winter, making dumplings has a different taste from large cabbages, and they must be dipped in vinegar and garlic paste to truly enjoy a unique flavor. Eating dumplings on the Start of Winter is because China is an agricultural country, and it highly values the twenty-four solar terms. "“Jie”" means the new growth point of plants. Autumn harvests and winter storage, on this day, people improve their lives by choosing "“nothing is more delicious than dumplings”.
Why do people eat dumplings on the Start of Winter?
Dumplings originate from the idea of "“the time of the exchange of the seasons”. The New Year's Eve is the transition between the old and the new year, while the Start of Winter is the transition between autumn and winter, so the dumplings at the time of the "exchange of the seasons" cannot be missed.
Nowadays, people have gradually revived this ancient custom. Therefore, on the day of the Start of Winter, various kinds of dumplings are very popular. Of course, on the Winter Solstice, for example, in areas like Zaozhuang, Shandong, there is also a custom of drinking mutton soup, and there is no regulation that you must eat dumplings.

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