Winter Solstice: Enjoy delicious food before severe cold days

Meaning the "summit of the winter," Dongzhi, or Winter Solstice is not necessarily the coldest period of time in winter, but it is definitely the most important of the 24 solar terms in Chinese lunar calendar.

Dongzhi is the 22nd solar term of a year, which begins on the day with the shortest daytime and the longest night. It was also the first settled solar term in the Chinese history.

The Chinese has an old saying "Dongzhi is as significant as the Spring Festival," since dating back to the days before the Qin Dynasty (1046 B.C. – 207 B.C.), the ancient Chinese celebrated the day as the beginning of a new year.

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Coldness: A keyword to define the period of time

Though the day of Dongzhi may not be that cold, it kicks off the period of time known in Chinese as "Shujiu Hantian," believed to be the coldest 81 days that could be divided into nine units of "nine-days."

The Chinese character "nine," which has the same pronunciation with the word for “long,” is considered as the largest number in ancient China, and was bestowed with the meaning of "maximum" and "extreme." The "Shujiu Hantian" is, therefore, the ancient Chinese people's way of describing how long and harsh the winter could be.

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The peak of the coldness usually comes at the third "nine-days," known as the "Sanjiu" in Chinese. But when the ninth "nine-days" comes, the spring would be in full swing across most part of China.

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A feast for the stomach: Dumplings or tangyuan?

The Winter Solstice might be the favorite for a gourmet.

For the ancient Chinese, celebrations of a significant festival could never be without a proper feast, especially for Dongzhi, which marks the end of the past year and the arrival of the new year.

Dumplings, one of the favorite food for many Chinese people living in the north, is an indispensable part of the table.

The tradition of eating dumplings was maintained for almost all the important festivals in China, such as the Lunar New Year's Eve.

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Mutton soup is also the best choice for many. A bowl of hot soup relished with chopped green onion would definitely drive away the chill.

However, whenever there are dumplings, there is the "Dumplings or Tangyuan" debate.

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In the south, instead of dumplings, tangyuan, or glutinous rice dumplings is a must for many families. But traditions could be quite different even for neighboring provinces and cities.

For instance, in Anhui Province, people eat noodles on the day, while in Zhejiang Province, people cook eggs with longans and red dates.

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In Jiangsu Province, many families drink rice wine tinged with sweet-scented osmanthus, while in Jiangxi Province, Maci or fried glutinous pudding is their best choice. In some cities and towns along Yangtze River, people also cook rice with azuki beans.

Even though worshiping to the ancestors used to be the most important thing for the day, only a few areas in China still maintains the habit. In Guangdong Province, people still hang up papers in front of their ancestors' tombs, while in Taiwan, special nine-layer cakes would be made as offerings.

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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Sjoukje Dijkstra, the figure skater who in 1964 became the first Dutch athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, has died at the age of 82.

Dijkstra's daughter, Katja Kossmayer Dijkstra, said in a Facebook post that her mother “passed away peacefully at home” on Thursday. The post did not reveal a cause of death.

Dijkstra skated at three Winter Olympics, finishing 12th in Cortina d’Ampezzo in 1956 before winning a silver medal at Squaw Valley in 1960. Four years later she crowned her career with the gold medal at the Innsbruck Olympics.

She then turned professional, touring with the Holiday on Ice show.

“She won everything, besides Olympic gold: three world championships, five European titles and six times she was the Dutch champion," Herman de Haan, director of the Dutch skating association, said in a statement.

Coming from a nation where speed skating is the winter sport of choice — Dijkstra's father, Lou Dijkstra, was a decorated speed skater — she chose instead to focus on figure skating and was known for her powerful jumps.

“With her phenomenal jumping power she managed to amaze the skating world and everyone outside of it,” King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima said in a statement. “She was the first Dutch person ever to win gold at the Winter Olympics – and became a legend. Her fantastic achievements are etched in our memories.”

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Sjoukje Dijkstra, of The Netherlands, skates her way to a gold medal during the women's figure skating event of the 9th Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria, on February 2, 1964. Sjoukje Dijkstra, the figure skater who in 1964 became the first Dutch athlete to win a Winter Olympic gold medal, has died at the age of 82. Katja Kossmayer Dijkstra said in her post that her mother “passed away peacefully at home” on Thursday. The post did not reveal a cause of death. (AP Photo)