Introduction: As the saying goes: On October 1st, the winter solstice arrives, and every household eats dumplings. ?So why do we eat dumplings at the beginning of winter? Let’s find out together!

Proverbs related to the beginning of winter:

1. The beginning of winter turns into October, the light snow fields are tightly sealed, and the heavy snow rivers are frozen.

Boats cannot sail on the winter solstice, and the minor cold rushes to the great cold, which means we are about to welcome the new year.

2. There is no rain at the beginning of winter and clear winter.

3. The rain falls in the beginning of winter and the rain falls in winter (referring to the dead winter).

4. There is fog at the beginning of winter and rain at the winter solstice.

5. This winter I will be covered with three layers of wheat quilt, next year I will sleep on my pillow with steamed buns.

6. Thunder at the beginning of winter will bring back spring; thunder hits the winter, and nine out of ten cattle pens will be empty; heavy fog will start on the day of the beginning of winter, and radish will be lit in the winter paddy fields; it will be cold on the day of the beginning of winter, and there will be more air conditioning in the year; frost will fall Pickled cabbage. Don’t make cattle at the beginning of winter;

(Southern Beginning of Winter proverb):

7. Northeast wind at the beginning of winter, good sky in winter; (South Fujian)

8. South at the beginning of winter Wind and rain, no withered (dry) soil in winter; (Southern Fujian)

9. Rain at the beginning of winter to prevent rotten winter, no fish at the beginning of winter to prevent spring drought; (Southern Fujian)

10. No on the Double Ninth Festival If it rains at the beginning of winter, there will be no rain in the beginning of winter and it will be dry all winter; (Gan)

11. If there is no rain on the Double Ninth Festival, it will be clear in winter Connected, the land preparation before winter is the first; (Jiangnan)

13. The west wind blows, crabs’ legs itch, and crabs start winter without a trace; (Jiangnan)

14. Don’t eat cakes in winter, One dead and one corner; (South)

15. Plant peas at the beginning of winter, bucket for bucket; (South)

16. Plow gold before the beginning of winter, plow silver after the beginning of winter, and plow silver after the beginning of spring Plow iron (meaning the soil should be turned early); (Hakka)

17. Clear winter at the beginning of winter, clear winter; rain at the beginning of winter, rainy winter at the beginning of winter; (Hakka) north wind at the beginning of winter with lots of ice and snow, south wind at the beginning of winter without rain Snow; (Jiangnan)

18. Rain at the beginning of winter will kill the winter, and you will run out of firewood and rice. (Southern Fujian)

Why eat dumplings at the beginning of winter:

Every year on the winter solstice of the lunar calendar, dumplings are an essential holiday meal for rich and poor alike. As the proverb goes: On October 1st, when the winter solstice arrives, every household eats dumplings. ?This custom was left behind in commemoration of ?Medical Saint? Zhang Zhongjing giving away medicine during the winter solstice.

Zhang Zhongjing was a native of Gengdong, Nanyang. He wrote Treatise on Febrile Diseases and Miscellaneous Diseases, which is a collection of medical achievements and is regarded as a classic by doctors of all generations. Zhang Zhongjing has a famous saying: "If you advance, you will save the world; if you retreat, you will save the people; if you cannot be a good prime minister, you should also be a good doctor." ?During the Eastern Han Dynasty, he served as the prefect of Changsha, where he visited patients, administered medicine, and practiced medicine in the lobby. Later, he resolutely resigned and returned to his hometown to treat his neighbors. It was winter when he returned home. He saw that the villagers on both sides of the Baihe River were sallow and thin, hungry and cold, and many of them had their ears rotten by the cold. So he asked his disciples to set up a medical tent and a large pot in Dongguan, Nanyang, and use the cold-dispelling Jiaoer soup to treat chilblains on the winter solstice. He put mutton, chili peppers and some cold-repelling medicinal herbs in a pot and boiled them. Then he took out the mutton and the medicinal herbs and chopped them into pieces. He used bread to make ear-shaped "jiaoer" shapes. After cooking, he distributed them to those who came to seek medicine. Each person has two "Jiao Er" and a large bowl of broth. People ate "Jiao Er" and drank "Quhan Decoction". Their whole bodies became warm, their ears felt hot, and their frostbitten ears were cured. Later generations learned the appearance of "Jiao Er" and wrapped them into food, also called "dumplings" or "flat food".

Eating dumplings during the winter solstice is a sign of remembering the kindness of the medical sage Zhang Zhongjing’s “Quhan Jiao Er Tang”. To this day, there are still folk songs in Nanyang about people who don’t serve dumpling bowls during the winter solstice and whose ears are frozen and no one cares about them.

The Beginning of Winter solar term has the meaning of harvesting in autumn and storing in winter. Our country used to be a farming society. People who worked for a year used the day of Beginning of Winter to take a rest and reward the family for their hard work over the past year. There is a proverb: "The beginning of winter makes up for the winter, and the mouth is empty" is the best metaphor. In southern my country, people like to eat chicken, duck and fish at the beginning of winter. On the day of the beginning of winter in Taiwan, winter tonic restaurants such as "Mutton Stove" and "Ginger Duck" are full of customers.

Many families also stew sesame oil chicken and Siwu chicken to replenish energy. People in northern my country, especially Beijing and Tianjin, love to eat dumplings. Why eat dumplings at the beginning of winter? Because dumplings come from the saying "Jiaozi Shi". New Year's Eve is the turn of the old year and the new year, and Beginning of Winter is the turn of autumn and winter, so you can't but eat dumplings at the turn of the year. Nowadays, people have gradually restored this ancient custom. On the day of the Beginning of Winter, all kinds of dumplings are sold very well.