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
12 Chinese New Year and Culture Books
Chinese Lantern Festival
Chinese Lantern Festival Riddles
The 24 Solar Terms for Chinese
how long is dongzhi celabration?
Adam Dongzhi festival is a one-day celebration. It is not a holiday but people will eat tāng yuán to celebrate the arrival of winter.