The Winter Solstice
Festival or The Extreme of Winter
(Chinese and Japanese: 冬至; Korean:
동지; Vietnamese: Đông
chí) (Pinyin:
Dōng zhì), (Rōmaji:
Tōji), (Romaja:Dongji) is one of the most
important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians
during the dongzhi solar term on or around December 21 when sunshine is weakest
and daylight shortest; i.e., on the first day of the
dongzhi solar term.
The origins of this festival can
be traced back to the yin and
yang philosophy of balance
and harmony in the cosmos. After this celebration, there will be
days with longer daylight hours and therefore an increase in
positive energy flowing in. The philosophical significance of this
is symbolized by the I Ching
hexagram fù (復,
"Returning").
Traditionally, the Dongzhi
Festival is also a time for the family to get together. One
activity that occurs during these get togethers (especially in the
southern parts of China and in Chinese communities
overseas) is the making
and eating of Tangyuan (湯圓, as pronounced
in Mandarin Pinyin:
Tāng Yuán) or balls of glutinous rice, which symbolize
reunion.
In Korea, similar balls of
glutinous rice (Korean:
새알심) (English pronunciation:Saealsim), is prepared in a
traditional porridge made with sweet red bean (Korean:
팥죽)(English pronunciation:Patjook). Patjook was believed
to have a special power and sprayed around houses on winter
solstice to repel sinister spirits. This practice was based on a
traditional folk tale, in which the ghost of a man that used to
hate patjook comes haunting innocent villagers on the winter
solstice.
