Chinese Festivals: Winter Solstice Festival
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The Chinese cultural festival is an important part in the lives of the Chinese. The festivals are deeply rooted with the history and culture of China. The Chinese celebrate many cultural festivals throughout the year. Each festival is celebrated on different occasions and has its own meaning. The Chinese cultural festival is an important part that contributes to the rich cultural heritage of china.
The "Winter solstice festival" is one of the important cultural festivals of China. It is also known as the "Dhonzi festival" in the Chinese culture. It is celebrated on the first
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day of winter that is on the 21st or 22nd of December every year. It is a day of thanks giving in the Chinese culture. The festival has its origins in the philosophy of Yin and Yang. The philosophy is based on the balance and harmony of the universe. The festival was celebrated during the Han Chinese dynasty period. On this day, both the officials and the common people take complete rest. The people of the Han dynasty regard the festival as a "winter festival". People present delicious foods to each other on this day.
The Chinese celebrate this festival for two basic reasons. The first reason is that the farmers take rest to enjoy the beautiful harvest after a year of hard work. The second reason is related with the theory of Yin and Yang. In the Chinese philosophy, yin symbolizes the female and the negative qualities of the universe. On the other part, Yang symbolizes male and stands for the positive qualities. It is believed that in the daytime, the yin is at extreme with the longest night giving way to the light and warmth of Yang.
The festival is also a time of family gathering. The members of the family gather to have meal made of red-beans and glutinous rice. The meal is associated with the belief that it will help in driving the ghosts and the evil spirits away. The food varies according to different regions. In the northern part, people drink dumpling soup. They believe that it will help them from the cold frost in winter. The chilly northern people eat meat of dogs and mutton to warm up the body. The southern Chinese eat dumpling balls made of glutinous rice flour.
The winter solstice festival means a time of a happy get-together. Family gatherings are done with parties until late midnight. The food of the festival differs in different regions. The Taiwan People offer nine layer cakes to their ancestors. The cake is made of glutinous rice flour with meat of duck, pig, cow, tortoise, chicken and sheep. People believe that eating this cake will bring good luck. This is because these animals are considered auspicious in the Chinese culture.
Even today, the Chinese celebrate the festival as an important cultural festival. People celebrate the festival by making themselves free from all the work and relax for the whole day. The festival enjoys its popularity in some parts of China. In general, the Chinese celebrate this day as a time of joy.
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