Dongzhi Festival 2024 in China

The Dongzhi Festival or Winter Solstice Festival occurs every year on December 21 or 22, celebrating the year's turning point toward spring. This holiday's main idea is to enjoy a good meal with family and friends. The festival is observed by the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans during the winter solstice.

Dongzhi Festival Traditions

The Dongzhi Festival, where Dongzhi means "Winter's Arrival," celebrated across China, was historically a time for families to gather before the harshest part of winter. While survival concerns are less pressing today, the festival remains a key family occasion.

In Southern China, it's tradition to make and eat tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) to symbolize family reunion, while in the north, people enjoy dumplings, often with lamb. Beyond the food, Dongzhi also involves cultural customs like worshipping ancestors, reciting the Nines of Winter, and making rice wine. Children are reminded to behave better in the coming year, which begins after the festival rather than after the Lunar New Year.

Dongzhi Festival in Bejing

In Bejing, the Dongzhi Festival is all about eating dumplings. The northern Chinese style dumplings, most common in the Chinese capital, are stuffed with pork or other meats and boiled or fried. Enjoy this winter solstice comfort food with soy sauce, chili sauce, or vinegar. And don't forget what they say in Northern China: if you don't eat dumplings during Dongzhi, your ears will freeze.

Festival Origins

The Winter Solstice, celebrated for over 2,500 years in China as Dongzhi, holds deep cultural significance, even rivaling the Lunar New Year. Rooted in the ancient principles of yin and yang, the festival marks a time when the balance of energies shifts. To counteract the cold (yin) of winter, people consume warm, yang foods like tangyuan, mutton hotpot, babao porridge, and jiaozi (dumplings). The holiday highlights the importance of restoring balance and harmony during the shortest days of the year.

If you are interested in traditional Chinese celebrations, click here to read about the Lunar New Year in China.