The winter solstice has been a holiday for more than 2,500 years. In the winter solstice, there are many folk customs, and the customs are different from place to place. One of the more widespread is the “winter solstice dumplings and summer solstice noodles”, a custom that has been passed down from generation to generation, especially in northern China. Do you know why we have to eat dumplings at the winter solstice? Do you understand the meaning of different filling dumplings?
Why do we eat dumplings on the winter solstice?
Classic explanation on the origin of the winter solstice dumplings
About the origin of the winter solstice dumplings, the most classic explanation is the following historical allusion. Every year, the winter solstice of the lunar calendar, whether rich or poor, dumplings are essential to the holiday meal. This custom is due to commemorate the “Saint of Medicine” Zhang Zhongjing winter solstice medicine left behind. Zhang Zhongjing was a native of Weidong, Nanyang, who wrote “Treatise on Typhoid Miscellaneous Diseases”, a collection of medical treatises that have been regarded as a classic by generations of physicians. Zhang Zhongjing famously said, “If you can’t be a good minister, you should also be a good doctor.” During the Eastern Han Dynasty, he served as the governor of Changsha, visiting the sick and administering medication in the lobby to practice medicine. Later, he resigned from his post and returned to his hometown to treat the illnesses of his neighbors.
When he returned to his hometown, it was winter. He saw that the folks on both sides of the White River were yellow and thin, starving and cold, and many people’s ears were frozen. So he asked his disciples to set up a medical hut and a cauldron at the east gate of Nanyang to heal frostbite on the winter solstice with a “cold and delicate ear soup”. He put mutton, chili pepper, and some cold-repelling herbs in a pot and boiled them. Then he chopped up the mutton and herbs and wrapped them into ear-like “delicate ears”, and after they were cooked, he gave two “delicate ears” and a big bowl of broth to each person who came for medicine. People ate the “delicate ears” and drank the “cold-removing soup”, and their bodies were warmed, their ears were warmed, and their frostbitten ears were cured. Later people followed the “ear” look, wrapped into food, also called “dumplings” or “flat food”. Winter solstice dumplings, are not to forget the “sage of medicine” Zhang Zhongjing “to dispel the cold Jiao ear soup” of the grace. Nanyang still has “if don’t eat dumplings on the winter solstice, freeze off the ear no one care” folk rhyme.
Winter solstice dumpling legendary stories, you know what else?
Winter solstice dumplings, there is also a legendary story related to “Nvwa created human”: Nvwa created humans in the Huaichuan region, winter solstice dumplings and Nvwa created humans. Legend has it that in ancient times, the winter was so cold that the ears of the clay figures made by Nvwa were often frozen off, so Nvwa had to sew them back on. One day, after sewing the ears of one of the clay figures, Nvwa put the remaining thread into the mouth of the clay figure for the time being and bit into it, then turned around to look for scissors. She tied the two ends of the thread to the ears and mouth of the clay figure so that the ears of the clay figure would not be frozen off. Later, on the day of the winter solstice, people are afraid to freeze off their ears, also bite a thread tied to the ears, because the shape of the dumpling is very similar to the ears, and slowly people will bite the thread into eating dumplings.
What is the meaning of the different fillings of dumplings?
Because of the different dietary habits of different places, coupled with different tastes of different people, so dumplings in the development process, the filling of dumplings is also colorful. And different fillings wrapped dumplings also have different meanings, which are the ancient people’s aspirations for a better life. Among the common dumpling fillings are mainly the following.
Leek filling: leek filled dumplings many people love to eat, it can be said that leek and dumplings are a perfect match, and leek filled dumplings are also called “long wealth dumplings. The word leek and and “long” harmonic, meaning happiness, health, happiness for a long time, and vegetables and wealth harmonic, meaning wealth for a long time.
Celery filling: also known as “diligent wealth dumplings”, the same harmonics, meaning hard work to get rich, will bring a steady stream of wealth to the family. And cabbage-filled dumplings are very auspicious, the people’s good wishes for “a hundred kinds of wealth”.
In addition, there are also pickled vegetables stuffed also known as “calculate wealth dumplings”, and “fish” also called “More wealth dumplings”, beef stuffed also called “cattle wealth dumplings “and so on. The different fillings of dumplings have different meanings, and all of them hold the people’s aspirations for a better life. Mainly based on the Chinese pronunciation of the filling, harmonic words to take the meaning.
How does UV Tableware express love on the winter solstice?
On this day of love, families interpreted love in different ways, and UV Tableware, like a big family, also sent warmth to employees. The administration department organized early in the morning to buy a lot of dumplings for the cafeteria to give extra meals to the employees at noon. Life needs rituals, and our logistics department has always been very helpful.
In addition, our products also “showed” their charm in this holiday season. For the biodegradable environmental bagasse dumpling boxes, we gave 20pcs to each employee for free, so that they can use them in the evening when their families gather for dinner, the dumplings convey the love between people, and the bagasse dumpling boxes convey the love for the earth.
