What are the meanings and customs of the winter solstice?
The winter solstice, also known as "Winter Festival" and "Happy Winter", is one of the twenty-four solar terms in China and one of the eight astronomical solar terms. In winter solstice, the sun shines directly on the tropic of Capricorn, with the shortest day and the longest night in the northern hemisphere, and the cold days begin from winter solstice. Winter solstice usually occurs between June 65438+February 2 1 and 23rd in Gregorian calendar. According to the lunar calendar, the date of winter solstice is not fixed, but it is always in the middle and late days of 65438+February in the solar calendar.
The custom of winter solstice is rich and colorful with profound cultural connotation. In Guangdong, the winter solstice is regarded as an important festival, and people will pay homage to their ancestors on this day to show their memory and respect. In many parts of northern China, it is a custom to eat jiaozi every winter solstice. According to legend, when Zhang Zhongjing retired in his later years, when he saw people who were frozen, he gave them mutton, some herbs and dough to drive away the cold. Later, on the solstice of winter, people imitated eating and formed a custom.
Climatic characteristics of winter solstice
The winter solstice is generally around 65438+February 2 1. At this time, the northern hemisphere is farthest from the sun and receives less sunshine, so the temperature begins to drop sharply. Moreover, because the soil began to freeze, solar radiation could not be absorbed smoothly by the soil, which also led to the arrival of cold weather. Therefore, the winter solstice is the period with the lowest temperature and the deepest cold in a year.
The climate characteristics of winter solstice are also manifested in atmospheric circulation and precipitation. Cyclone activity is frequent in winter, sometimes controlled by cold air. These factors lead to low relative humidity and less precipitation in most areas from winter to Sunday, so winter is also a high incidence period of drought in most areas. Especially in winter in northern China, affected by cold wave and high pressure, the air is relatively dry.