As the year's shortest day descends on the Northern Hemisphere, communities in Guangdong province, southern China, turn their attention to the Winter Solstice, which falls on December 21 this year. For many here, this astronomical event holds a significance that even overshadows the Chinese New Year, embodied by the local saying, "Winter Solstice is bigger than the New Year".
This deep-rooted tradition dates back over two millennia. Before the Spring Festival was widely established, the Winter Solstice was celebrated as the start of a new year. It also marked a crucial rest period for farming communities after the harvest. While modern life has weakened the agricultural link, the festival's core as a time for family reunion remains as strong as ever.
A Taste of Regional Traditions
While dumplings define the Winter Solstice in northern China, Guangdong's foodie reputation shines through its remarkable regional diversity.
Tangyuan (Glutinous Rice Balls), symbolizing family unity, is a staple across the south. In Chaozhou, families make balls of different sizes, called "father, son, and grandfather" balls, signifying family harmony. Some are even stuck on doors and furniture as a prayer for household safety.
Dongguan serves Tangyuan in red for good fortune and white for good relationships. In Zhongshan, locals creatively make an olive-shaped Tangyuan called "Shui Lan" for the Winter Solstice.
The feast is grander in Foshan, where clans gather for a "nine great dishes" banquet after ancestral rites, featuring roasted meats, steamed dishes, and stir-fries. In Guangzhou, an older tradition involves preserving a carp in the rice container before the festival, to be retrieved on the Winter Solstice as an ancestral offering symbolizing abundance for the coming year. In Jiangmen, the centerpiece is glutinous rice with preserved meats, a dish meant to bring warmth throughout the cold season. Meanwhile, the Hakka community in Meizhou considers the solstice's water perfect for brewing their distinctive fermented rice wine, which they believe tastes better and keeps longer when made at this time.
While lifestyles change, with many families now holding reunion dinners in restaurants for convenience, the essence of the festival—coming together with loved ones on the year's longest night—endures, preserving a rich tapestry of local customs.
Winter Solstice
by Du Fu (Tang Dynasty)
Heaven and earth press for a change from day to day;
On Winter Solstice, spring will come without delay.
The embroiderer adds in an hour one more thread.
When six reed pipes are blown, up and down ashes spread.
The rivershores wait to be greened by willow trees.
The coldproof mountain sets mume blossoms at release.
The scenery here looks fine as in our homeland.
I tell my son to drink up the cup in his hand.
Translated by Xu Yuanchong, Xu Ming
Author & Poster | Feng Huiting
Editor | Huang Qini, James Campion, Shen He
