12/21/2021
Today is the Winter Solstice which officially marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Winter Solstice is an important time for the Chinese nation. Chinese people treat the Winter Solstice as a "Winter Festival", or “Little New Year", etc.
In the north of China, almost every household eats dumplings on the Winter Solstice
You may wonder why people eat dumplings on the winter Solstice and where does this tradition come from? There was a story behind it .
This story was about an ancient famous Chinese physician Zhang Zhongjing.
Zhang Zhongjing was a Chinese pharmacologist, physician and writer of the Eastern Han dynasty. His book 巜Theory of Typhoid Miscellaneous Diseases》 is a collection of great works of doctors and he made a great contribution to the traditional Chinese Medicine. He was considered as one of the most eminent Chinese physicians during the the Eastern Han dynasty
About 2,000 years ago, on one Winter Solstices day, Zhang Zhongjing saw that many village people's ears were frozen and rotten. He asked his helpers to set up a medical shed and big pots. He cooked the mutton and some warming herbal medicines in the pots, then took out the mutton and medicines and minced them as dumpling stuffings. Then, He made many dumplings. After cooking , he gave the dumplings and a large bowl of broth to each person who suffered from frostbites.
After eating the dumplings and drinking the soup, people felt warm all over, their ears were hot, and frostbite ears were cured.
From then on , the tradition of eating dumplings in north China on Winter Solstice carries on from one generation to another. This tradition is mainly for memorizing the great physician—Zhang Zhongjing .
Happy Winter Solstice and stay warm!
PS, I have gift certificates available in my office, if you want to buy your loved ones’ healthy treats , please let me know. Have a great holiday season!
