Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice, a.k.a DongZhi in Chinese, is the time of the year when the day is the shortest and the night is the longest. It happens due to the sun position in the southern hemisphere, causing the temperature drop and short daytime in the northern hemisphere.

The Chinese believed that DongZhi is based on Yin and Yang Theory. On the day of DongZhi, the Yin (cold and dark) are at the greatest while Yang (fiery and positive) are at the weakest. As the day passes, Yin slowly weaken giving way to Yang until it prevails with the rebirth of the Spring.

DongZhi has been an important festival for millenia. Records from Eastern Han Dynasty stated this period as a holiday season for court officials and even the emperors. Qing Dynasty regarded it as a season of exchanging gifts and drinking into the long night. In fact, during the Jin Dynasty, shoes and socks were popular gift among the commoners and royalties - court officials would present embroidered shoes and socks for the emperors. Not sure how the custom evolved, but most probably it has to do with keeping the feet warm during winter season.

DongZhi has always been associated with number nine, which is also based on Yin and Yang Theory. Yin is associated with even numbers, while Yang with odds. Nine, the largest number in Yang, represents infinity and extremity. Thus, association of DongZhi and nine.

The day of DongZhi is the beginning of the first nine-day period. There are altogether 9 nine-day period, summing up to total of 81 days. The weather improves a bit every nine-day. At the end of the ninth period is the Spring.

I am not sure to be happy or sad for not being able to experience the whole 9 nine-day period. The first day of the first nine-day feels so unbearable that I'm not even sure how to spend the first nine-day period! I miss WARMTH!