Lidong is the 19th and first solar term among the 24 solar terms, representing the beginning of winter.

一、 Solar terms customs

1. Make up for winter

After the beginning of winter, it means that winter has officially arrived this year. Grass and trees wither, and insects hibernate. Although humans do not have the concept of hibernation, there is a folk custom of starting winter to make up for it. As the saying goes, "Start winter to make up for winter, fill the gap in one's mouth." In ancient times, farmers worked for a year and used this day to rest and reward their families for their hard work. Kill chickens, slaughter sheep, or supplement with other nutrients on the day of the beginning of winter.

2. Eating dumplings

In the northern region, people have the custom of eating dumplings at the beginning of winter. Lidong doesn't bring the dumpling bowl, no one cares if the ears freeze. Dumplings look like ears, and people believe that eating them will keep the ears from freezing in winter.

3. Eating sugarcane and stir fried rice

In the Chaoshan area of Fujian and Guangzhou, there has always been a saying among the people that "eating sugarcane at the beginning of winter does not hurt the teeth". Therefore, on the day of the beginning of winter, one should eat sugarcane and stir fried rice.

4. Sacrifice

Lidong was one of the "Four Seasons and Eight Festivals" in ancient society, and was a very important festival. In some parts of China, there were customs such as ancestor worship and banquets, offering seasonal delicacies to ancestors to fulfill their obligations and responsibilities as descendants, and praying for a bountiful year from heaven for the coming year.

二、 Teaching of Solar Terms Culture

Beginning of Winter 立冬

Nourishing the Winter 补冬

Offering sacrifices to ancestors 祭祀