What do you need to know about the winter solstice solar terms?

Solar terms: China attached great importance to the winter solstice in ancient times. The solstice in winter is considered a grand festival. There is a saying that the winter solstice is as big as a year, and there is a custom to celebrate the winter solstice. "Han Shu" said: "The sun shines on the winter solstice, and you are long, so congratulations." People think that after the winter solstice, the days become longer and longer and the sun rises. This is the beginning of a solar cycle and an auspicious day, which should be celebrated.

The Book of Jin records: "On the winter solstice of Wei and Jin Dynasties, people from all over the world celebrated ... its appearance was not as good as that of Zheng Dan." Explain the ancient emphasis on the winter solstice. Before the Han dynasty, there was no written record of the custom of winter solstice. In the Han Dynasty, the winter solstice was regarded as the "Winter Festival", and the official ceremony called "Celebrating Winter" was held. This is a routine official festival, and the custom of "worshipping winter" was popular in the officialdom.

There is such a record in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty: "Before and after the winter solstice, a gentleman was prepared for danger in times of peace, refused to listen to politics, and chose an auspicious day to save trouble." Therefore, on this day, the court will have a holiday and rest, go on business trips, send meals to each other and visit each other between relatives and friends, and have a happy "quiet life" festival.

During the Wei, Jin and Six Dynasties, the solstice in winter was called "Zi Sui", and people should pay homage to their parents and elders. The winter festival prevailed in the Tang and Song Dynasties. After the Song Dynasty, the winter solstice gradually became a festival to worship ancestors and gods. During the winter solstice in Ming and Qing Dynasties, the emperor held a ceremony to worship heaven, which was called "the winter solstice in the suburbs". During this period, there were folk customs such as ancestor worship and family banquet. Therefore, winter solstice is called "off-year".

In ancient times, people used the winter solstice weather and the position of the winter solstice solar terms in January to predict the future weather. "The winter solstice is dark and the New Year is thin; The winter solstice is sparse, and the New Year is black "means: If the winter solstice is cloudy, the New Year's Day is sunny; If the winter solstice is sunny, it may be cloudy or even snowy on New Year's Day.