Falling leaves and cold winds mean the arrival of another season. Lidong is one of the 24 solar terms (节气) of China. It means the beginning of winter.
To welcome Lidong, people have many colorful customs that light up the cold days. One popular custom is to have a big meal. Winter is believed to be a season for storage (储藏). Eating well helps people store energy to stay warm in winter and prepare for growth in the coming spring. In the north, people prefer eating dumplings. The Chinese word for dumpling, jiao (饺), sounds like the word "change". Eating dumplings means celebrating the change of autumn to winter. In the south, eating chicken, duck and fish is common.
Throughout history, Lidong was also a time for people to store vegetables. There were not many fresh vegetables to eat during winter. So around Lidong, some people in the north began to store vegetables like cabbages in a cellar (地窖) underground.
However, some of these customs have disappeared. Most people buy fresh vegetables at the supermarket. Instead, new winter customs are being created in certain places. In Harbin, experienced swimmers choose to swim in the winter waters during Lidong. It's really cold in the water!
A solar term: Lidong | ||
Meaning | It shows that winter has . | |
Have a big meal | * The aim(目的) is to store energy to keep in winter and prepare for the growth in the coming spring. * In the north, people prefer to eat * In the south, it is common to eat chicken, duck and fish. | |
Store vegetables | Some people in the north began to do this so they can have enough vegetables to eat in the winter. | |
Changes | People follow some new customs instead of the old ones, such as in freezing water. | |
