The holly tree hangs high in the sky, and the annual Yan flower withers, but the tree does not wither. When the frost and snow cover the earth with a white carpet, the cold wind sweeps over the crystal clear frost on the pine and cypress trees, and the winter solstice arrives as scheduled. December 21st this year is the Winter Solstice. At this time, the north wind howls, the sky is cold and the earth is frozen, the fragrance of winter plum blossoms is faint, and the flowing water under the ice is swirling. In the chill, the footsteps of spring can be faintly heard. As the sun moves southward, the yang energy begins to emerge. "At the winter solstice, in mid November, the stored energy reaches its peak." The winter solstice is the 22nd solar term among the 24 solar terms and also the fourth solar term of winter. Every year around December 22nd in the Gregorian calendar, when the sun reaches 270 degrees longitude, it is the winter solstice. The Winter Solstice is one of the earliest recorded and measured solar terms among the 24 solar terms. As early as the Neolithic period, our ancestors had already determined the winter solstice and recorded it in writing during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Winter Solstice is known as the day when the sun reaches its maximum southward direction and shines directly on the Tropic of Capricorn. Therefore, it is also the day with the shortest daylight and longest darkness in the Northern Hemisphere. Afterwards, the point of direct sunlight returns to the north, the sun's altitude rises, and daylight gradually lengthens in various parts of the northern hemisphere. On the winter solstice, when the sun rises, the timing of the day changes and the duration of the day lengthens In ancient China, who viewed the world through the concept of yin and yang, day was considered yang and night was considered yin. As the saying goes, "when one reaches the cathode, the two begin to receive yang energy, and the three move southward on a daily basis, it is called the Winter Solstice." The Winter Solstice is a critical node when yin energy reaches its peak and yang energy begins to emerge. The ancient people believed that after the Winter Solstice, the circulation of yin and yang enters a new cycle. Therefore, the Winter Solstice is not just a node, but also a starting point, representing the beginning of another cycle of reincarnation. Taking five days as one period, ancient people divided the winter solstice into three periods: the first period is when earthworms form; Er Hou Mu Jiao Jie; San Hou Shui Quan is in motion. Legend has it that earthworms are creatures with yin bending and yang stretching. During the winter solstice, when yang energy is born, yin energy is still very strong, and earthworms in the soil still curl up their bodies; Milu, commonly known as the "four unlike", was believed by ancient people to belong to the Yin family. After the winter solstice, elk can feel the gradual decline of Yin energy, causing their antlers to fall off, indicating the emergence of Yang energy and the decline of Yin energy; As the yang energy gradually rises, the well water begins to surge and the spring water begins to flow. During the winter solstice, although the Northern Hemisphere has the shortest sunshine hours and receives the least amount of solar radiation, there is still heat accumulation on the surface, and the temperature is not yet the lowest at this time. Afterwards, the cold air will continue to accumulate, coupled with the cooling effect of the Siberian cold wave, so the temperature will be lower during the small and large cold seasons after the winter solstice. Therefore, there is a folk saying that "the winter solstice is not cold". During the winter solstice, although yang energy begins to emerge, the cold of the earth has just begun Zhang Zongxue, Deputy Chief Physician of the Respiratory Department at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated with Capital Medical University, introduced that according to the theory of "correspondence between heaven and man" in traditional Chinese medicine, at this time, the body's yang qi is relatively weak, and health needs to be taken care of by preserving yang qi, consolidating and regulating it, paying attention to cold prevention and warmth, ensuring sufficient sleep, nourishing essence and vitality, and avoiding excessive fatigue. As the saying goes, "The Winter Solstice Festival is the beginning of spring." "The Winter Solstice is as big as the year. The Winter Solstice is one of the four seasons and eight festivals. The ancients believed that the Winter Solstice was the end of Tibet, the beginning of life, and the day of good fortune. Therefore, they called it "Ya Sui", "Dong Jie", "Chang Zhi Jie" and so on. During the Zhou and Qin dynasties, the winter solstice was celebrated as the beginning of the new year. In some places, the winter solstice is still regarded as a "small year" festival by the people. In some places, there are also sayings such as "fat winter and thin year" and "big winter and small winter". The celebration of the winter solstice is even more lively and grand than the Chinese New Year. During the Chinese New Year, we celebrate the New Year, while during the winter, we celebrate the winter. According to historical records, there have been sacrificial activities during the winter solstice since the Zhou Dynasty. During the Han Dynasty, the Winter Solstice had already become a significant festival. The Book of Later Han records: "Before and after the Winter Solstice, a gentleman will rest in peace and quiet, and all officials will abstain from politics. They will choose an auspicious time to save time." This means that around the Winter Solstice, all civil and military officials in the Han Dynasty will take a break, the army will be on standby, the border will be closed, and business and travel will be suspended. At the same time, relatives and friends will visit each other with delicious food, and the whole country will celebrate a festival of "peace and quiet" with joy. This reflects the ancient concept of 'winter storage' that emphasizes tranquility and follows the seasons, "Zhang Zongxue explained." There are also customs among the people to celebrate and worship winter, and in some places, shoes and socks are even given to elders as a gesture of 'welcoming blessings and practicing growth'. In the old days, people would also hold "Cold Relief Meetings", where relatives and friends would gather, have feasts, and have fun, called "Warm Winter". On the winter solstice, the differences in diet between the north and south are particularly evident. There is a folk saying: "Northern people eat dumplings, southern people eat glutinous rice cake; Winter solstice is like the year, glutinous rice is made into balls." In many areas of northern China, there is a custom of eating dumplings on the winter solstice day. People believe that dumplings have the meaning of "dispelling cold", as the saying goes, "Do not eat dumplings on the winter solstice bowl, and no one will care if your ears are frozen off. In the south, it is popular to eat Wonton, rice dumpling, red bean and glutinous rice, braised wax, ginger rice, etc. on the winter solstice. "Every family pounded rice to make rice dumpling, which is known as the winter solstice of the Ming Dynasty." In Jiangnan area, people are used to eating rice dumpling. "Yuan" means "reunion" and "completeness". Eating rice dumpling on the winter solstice is also known as "winter solstice yuan". In southern Guangdong and Guangxi areas, people eat baked wax on the winter solstice, which means adding food to add years. "The weather is cold during the winter solstice, and the human body needs enough energy to keep out the cold. Most of the foods such as dumplings and rice dumpling are rich in protein, carbohydrate and fat, which have the effect of invigorating qi and activating blood circulation and warming the temperature. Proper intake can provide more energy for people to keep out the cold in winter." Zhang Zongxue introduced that there is a custom among the people to consume tonics during winter. When consuming tonics during winter, it is necessary to consider regional differences and be aware of one's own physical condition, but avoid overeating. The winter in the north is cold, so it is advisable to choose warm foods such as beef and mutton for tonics; The temperature in the south is relatively high, so it is recommended to mainly supplement with plain food, such as chicken, duck, fish, etc; The rainfall in high-altitude areas is relatively low and the climate is dry. People should eat more sweet and nourishing foods to prevent their bodies from getting overheated. According to different individual constitutions, diet and recuperation should also be differentiated. People with yin deficiency constitution can appropriately eat more soft and sweet foods such as soybean milk, eggs, fish, honey, yams, radishes, milk, etc; People with yang deficiency constitution can eat more warm, cooked and soft foods such as pumpkin, chives, jujube, etc. appropriately. Counting the nine cold days, the end of winter and the arrival of spring. After passing the winter solstice, all things are frozen to zero. As soon as the winter solstice arrives, everything is desolate, and all parts of the country will enter the coldest stage, which is commonly known as the "Nine Cold Days". The number nine "is calculated from the winter solstice, with nine days as a unit, and so on. Counting from" 19 "to" 99 "for eighty-one days is collectively referred to as the" number nine cold days ". Counting to" nine ends and peach blossoms bloom "is the time when ice and snow melt and spring is warm and blooming. In traditional Chinese culture, nine is the extreme number, which is the number of "most yang" and also the number of the greatest. The accumulation of 'Zhi Yang Shu' means the gradual reduction of Yin Qi. When it reaches the end of nine cycles, it means that the cold has gone and the warmth has come. According to expert research, the custom of "counting nine" has been popular in China since the Northern Song Dynasty at the latest. After recording the daily weather for nine days after the Winter Solstice, various versions of the "Nine Nine Song" gradually emerged - "In 1929, we didn't take action, walking on the ice for three, nine, four, nine, five, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine. In ancient times, there was a custom among the people to draw the "Nine Nine Cold Relief Picture". The Ming Dynasty's "Brief Scenery of the Imperial Capital" records: "On the winter solstice, draw a plain plum blossom, with one petal in eighty. When one petal is dyed on the day, the petals are exhausted and ninety-nine petals emerge, then spring is deep, called the 'ninety-nine dispelling cold picture'." Draw a plain white plum blossom on paper, with a total of 81 petals, and paint one petal red every day. When all petals are painted red, it is the day of "nine". It is already deep spring, warm sun, and full of vitality for all things. In addition to painting, ancient people also popular "writing nine", the most popular of which is "weeping willows in front of the pavilion, cherishing and waiting for the spring breeze (wind)". The commonality of these nine characters is that each character has nine paintings, with one stroke drawn every day. After 81 strokes, it is also the end of winter and the arrival of spring. The wise ancients filled the long winter with hope and joy in this elegant and leisurely way, until the ice dissipated and the spring scenery filled the garden. Winter Solstice to Minor Cold and Major Cold is the coldest period of the year, and daily living should pay attention to keeping warm and avoiding the cold Zhang Zongxue said that during the winter solstice, the weather is cold and there is a large temperature difference between indoors and outdoors, which is a high-risk period for cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases. Patients with chronic heart and lung diseases should pay attention to regular medication, keep warm, and regularly monitor related indicators such as blood pressure and blood sugar; At this time, it is also a season with a high incidence of respiratory infectious diseases. It is advisable to avoid crowded and enclosed places as much as possible. Indoor areas should be regularly ventilated, and health protection measures should be taken when going out. The vitality of one year begins at the winter solstice Zhang Zongxue said that the winter solstice is a good season for taking care of the body. In daily life, it is important to engage in appropriate cold exercise, such as washing your face with cold water, to improve your body's adaptability and tolerance to the cold. At the same time, appropriate exercise should also be carried out. It should be noted that in winter, the cold weather reduces the elasticity and stretchability of human muscles, and joints become relatively stiff. If you start exercising without warming up, it is easy to cause muscle strains and joint damage. Therefore, it is necessary to do more thorough preparation activities before exercise than usual, and pay attention to moderation during exercise to avoid intense exercise and excessive sweating, so as not to dissipate yang energy. Proper sun exposure during exercise is also a good way to warm up the sun and dispel the cold. At the end of summer and the autumnal equinox, at the time of spring and winter solstice The cycle of time is orderly, and after the cathode, the yang energy returns. On the coldest days, the most vigorous spring is brewing. After the Winter Solstice, the daylight hours will quietly lengthen, and everything is ready to take off. The vibrant spring is not far ahead. (New Society)