Winter Solstice 冬至
The winter solstice has the shortest day and longest night. The ancients called it the winter festival, saying it is as important as New Year. In Taiwan people eat tangyuan for reunion and another year of age; in the north they eat dumplings.
Earthworms curl upFirst pentad
Deer shed their antlersSecond pentad
Springs begin to flowThird pentad
Three pentads
- First pentadEarthworms curl upDeep in the frozen soil they coil into knots; the ancients took it as the first stirring of warmth underground.
- Second pentadDeer shed their antlersElk shed their old antlers, which the ancients read as the cold beginning to retreat.
- Third pentadSprings begin to flowUnderground springs begin to flow and turn faintly warm, a sign that warmth is returning.
Custom
Eat tangyuan for reunion and another year.
Start dates
- December 21, 2025
- December 22, 2026
- December 22, 2027