Winter Solstice Chinese Dōng Zhì Festival – World Culture for Kids

Winter Solstice Chinese Dōng Zhì Festival – World Culture for Kids

 

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice is Dōng Zhì Festival! Happy winter Solstice – Dōng Zhì 冬至! Winter Solstice is 冬至 Dōng Zhì in Chinese.

冬 [Dong] mean winter. 至 [Zhi] means extreme, or arrival.

冬至 [Dōng Zhì] literally means the “extreme of winter.”

Dōng Zhì is also known as Winter Festival – 冬節[Dōng Jié] for Chinese.  Dong Zhi marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

The winter cold days start on this day according to the Chinese calendar.

This is also the day that your shadow measures the longest under the sun.

冬至 Dong Zhi Festival always falls on or around December 22.

 

Do You Know 

In ancient China, the Chinese winter solstice, Dōng Zhì used to be the first day of the first month on the calendar, the New Year’s Day.

Even though it was changed by Emperor Qin (秦始皇), people still keep the tradition.

Therefore, Dong Zhi Festival is also known as “the little New Year’s day” 過小年 guò xiǎo nián.

Traditions for Dōng Zhì festival in Chinese Culture

It is a day for a family reunion, a day to worship the ancestors, and a day to eat some traditional food.

A tradition highlight for people from the northern part of China is that in northern China, people will eat dumplings  shuǐ   jiǎo [水餃] and lamb yáng ròu [羊肉] to keep warm.

A tradition highlight for people from the southern part of China is that in southern China and Taiwan, people will eat Tang Yuán [湯圓], the glutinous rice balls. You can see how they are made in the video resource below.

Meaning of Tāng Yuán

First, let’s look at the two Chinese words in Tang Yuán [湯圓].  Tang 湯 means soup and Yuán 圓 means round.

Tang Yuán sounds like “Tuán Yuán [團圓]” that means “reunion”. Therefore, the Chinese associate Tang Yuán [湯圓] with the meaning of family reunion.

Same Delicacy With A Different Name

During the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration, Tāng Yuán [湯圓] is called Yuán Xiāo [元宵].

There is a saying about the winter solstice in the Chinese culture, that is, when a person eats Tang Yuán [湯圓] on Dong Zhì, s/he is one year older.

So, for children, that means they need to behave more maturely.

Authentic Materials: Video Resource for Dong Zhi 

Music

A Song for Chinese Winter Solstice, Dong Zhi Winter Festival

 

Recipes

Making Tang Yuan for Chinese Winter Solstice, Dong Zhi Winter Festival

Hearty Soup Recipe for Tang Yuan

The first time I tried this hearty soup tāng yuán I was totally amazed.  It was new to me and it was absolutely delicious.

A student’s grandmother made it the traditional way.  There were little plain tāng yuán and there were big tāng yuán with delicious pork fillings in a slow-cooked broth with veggies.

You can experience this beautiful dish from the video below.

 

Best Tang Yuen for Dong Zhi Festival (Taiwan)

 

Mini Winter Solstice Rice Balls 

Made with only 3 ingredients Rice flour, sugar, and water

The Story of  Winter Solstice, Dong Zhi

Mandarin Chinese with simplified Chinese subtitle

In addition to China and Taiwan, Dong Zhi festival is also observed in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. People in Europe also celebrate Winter Solstice and you can see how they celebrate it with the kids.

Happy Dong Zhi Winter Festival! Dress warmly and enjoy the magic of winter.

 

Exploring More Resources in the Chinese Lunar New Year Series

Craft and Coloring Pages – Chinese Lunar New Year

Tradition, Taboos, and Celebration – Chinese Lunar New Year Guide

Make an “Fú 福” Lucky Word Sign – Chinese Lunar New Year Craft

Must-Know Lucky Phrases for Chinese New Year

Chinese Culture for Kids Series: The 12 Chinese Animal Birth Signs Printable

Year of the Snake Craft

Chinese New Year for Children: Year of the Snake

The 24 Solar Terms for Chinese