冬至：阴阳交替中的文化瑰宝
冬至，作为中国二十四节气之一，在每年公历 12 月 21 – 23 日交节，此时太阳直射南回归线，是北半球一年中白昼最短、黑夜最长的一天。此后，太阳直射点逐渐北移，白昼开始变长，寓意着阳气逐渐回升，正如古人云：“冬至一阳生，天地阳气回升。” 它不仅是一个节气，更是中华民族深厚文化底蕴的生动体现，承载着丰富的历史内涵与多样的民俗风情。
一、冬至的历史渊源
冬至的历史源远流长，可追溯至数千年前。在古代，冬至被视为一个极为重要的节日，称为 “亚岁” 或 “小年”，其地位仅次于春节。周朝时，冬至日便有祭祀活动，以祈求神灵消除疫疾、减少荒年、保佑人民平安健康。汉朝时，冬至成为法定节假日，朝廷会举行盛大的贺冬仪式，官员们放假休息、相互祝贺，此习俗一直延续至唐宋时期，且规模愈发宏大。明清时期，冬至祭祀祖先的习俗盛行，皇帝会在这一天前往天坛祭天，百姓们则在家中祭祖，以缅怀先人、传承家族血脉。
二、冬至的民俗文化
（一）饮食习俗
冬至美食丰富多样，各地独具特色。北方地区有冬至吃饺子的传统习俗，据说饺子源于 “医圣” 张仲景在冬至舍药救人的故事。当时，他用面皮包上驱寒药材和羊肉，制成 “祛寒娇耳汤”，分给百姓服用，以抵御严寒。此后，人们便模仿制作，逐渐演变成了冬至吃饺子的习俗。南方则流行吃汤圆，汤圆象征着团圆、圆满，寓意家庭和睦、幸福美满。此外，还有江南地区的赤豆糯米饭、苏州的酿酒、杭州的年糕等，每一种美食都蕴含着当地人民对冬至的独特情感与美好祈愿。
（二）传统活动
在冬至这天，民间有许多富有特色的传统活动。九九消寒是其中一项极具趣味性的活动，从冬至开始，人们会画一幅 “九九消寒图”，通常是一幅梅花图或文字图，每天涂染一瓣梅花或填写一笔笔画，等九九八十一个笔画全部涂写完，春天便悄然来临。此外，冬至还有祭祀祖先、拜神祈福、赠鞋敬老等习俗。赠鞋敬老这一习俗体现了中华民族尊老敬老的传统美德，晚辈会在冬至这天为长辈送上新鞋，以表孝心与关爱。
三、冬至的文化意义
冬至作为中华民族传统文化的重要组成部分，具有深远的文化意义。它是阴阳交替的节点，象征着新旧交替、否极泰来，蕴含着中国人对自然规律的深刻认知与敬畏之情。冬至的团圆寓意，让漂泊在外的游子归心似箭，一家人围坐在一起吃饺子、汤圆，共享天伦之乐，强化了家族凝聚力与亲情纽带。同时，冬至丰富的民俗活动也是传承民族文化的重要载体，通过代代相传，使中华民族的传统文化得以延续与发展，成为维系民族情感、增强民族认同感的精神桥梁。
The Winter Solstice: A Cultural Treasure in the Alternation of Yin and Yang
The Winter Solstice, one of the twenty-four solar terms in China, occurs around December 21 – 23 in the Gregorian calendar. At this time, the sun shines directly on the Tropic of Capricorn, making it the day with the shortest daylight and the longest night in the northern hemisphere. After that, the direct point of the sun gradually moves northward, and the daylight hours start to lengthen, symbolizing the gradual recovery of yang qi. As the ancients said, “At the Winter Solstice, yang qi is born, and the yang qi between heaven and earth begins to rise.” It is not only a solar term but also a vivid manifestation of the profound cultural heritage of the Chinese nation, carrying rich historical connotations and diverse folk customs.
1. Historical Origin of the Winter Solstice
The history of the Winter Solstice dates back thousands of years. In ancient times, the Winter Solstice was regarded as an extremely important festival, known as “the Minor New Year” or “the Lesser Spring Festival”, and its status was second only to that of the Spring Festival. During the Zhou Dynasty, sacrificial activities were held on the Winter Solstice to pray to the gods to eliminate diseases, reduce famine years, and bless the people with peace and health. In the Han Dynasty, the Winter Solstice became a statutory holiday, and the imperial court would hold grand ceremonies to celebrate the winter. Officials had a holiday and congratulated each other. This custom continued until the Tang and Song Dynasties, and the scale became even larger. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the custom of offering sacrifices to ancestors on the Winter Solstice prevailed. The emperor would go to the Temple of Heaven to worship heaven on this day, and the common people would offer sacrifices to their ancestors at home to remember their ancestors and inherit the family lineage.
2. Folk Culture of the Winter Solstice
(1) Dietary Customs
There are a variety of delicious foods for the Winter Solstice, each with unique characteristics in different regions. In the northern regions, there is a traditional custom of eating dumplings on the Winter Solstice. It is said that dumplings originated from a story about Zhang Zhongjing, the “Medical Saint”, who saved people by distributing medicine on the Winter Solstice. At that time, he wrapped cold-dispelling herbs and mutton in a dough wrapper and made “Cold-Dispelling Ear-Shaped Dumpling Soup” and distributed it to the people to resist the severe cold. Since then, people have imitated this and gradually evolved into the custom of eating dumplings on the Winter Solstice. In the south, eating glutinous rice balls is popular. Glutinous rice balls symbolize reunion and completeness, implying family harmony and happiness. In addition, there are red bean glutinous rice in the Jiangnan area, wine-making in Suzhou, rice cakes in Hangzhou, etc. Each kind of food contains the unique emotions and good wishes of the local people for the Winter Solstice.
(2) Traditional Activities
On the Winter Solstice, there are many characteristic traditional activities among the people. The “Nine-Nine Cold-Dispelling” activity is a very interesting one. Starting from the Winter Solstice, people will draw a “Nine-Nine Cold-Dispelling Picture”, usually a plum blossom picture or a character picture. They color one petal of the plum blossom or fill in one stroke every day. When all the eighty-one strokes are filled in, spring quietly arrives. In addition, there are customs such as offering sacrifices to ancestors, worshiping gods and praying for blessings, and presenting shoes to the elderly. The custom of presenting shoes to the elderly reflects the traditional virtue of respecting the elderly in the Chinese nation. The younger generation will present new shoes to the elders on the Winter Solstice to show filial piety and care.
3. Cultural Significance of the Winter Solstice
As an important part of the traditional culture of the Chinese nation, the Winter Solstice has far-reaching cultural significance. It is a node of the alternation of yin and yang, symbolizing the alternation of old and new and the coming of good fortune after a period of adversity, containing the Chinese people’s profound understanding and awe of the laws of nature. The reunion meaning of the Winter Solstice makes the wandering travelers eager to return home. The whole family sits together to eat dumplings and glutinous rice balls and enjoys family happiness, strengthening the family cohesion and the bond of kinship. At the same time, the rich folk activities of the Winter Solstice are also important carriers for inheriting national culture. Through generations of inheritance, the traditional culture of the Chinese nation can be continued and developed, becoming a spiritual bridge that maintains national emotions and enhances national identity.
以上图片来源于：消寒图