The Beginning of Winter

Culture 2016/11/11 View：3724

The Beginning of Winter,Did you eat dumplings?

Leaves are rustling in the wind, frost climbs onto the windowsill and autumn has already silently walked away. “It’s Winter. Keep yourself warm!”

The Beginning of Winter is the time when winter officially arrives. When vegetation withered away, the weather becomes colder. Everything in the natural world falls into this cycle. In ancient agricultural society, the beginning of winter, spring, summer and autumn are called the “Four Beginnings.” They are all important days. For our ancestors, the beginning of winter is not just the start of a cold season but also a time to rest, a time when living things witness a period of dormancy and self-renewal.

From the customs handed down from ancient agricultural society, the beginning of winter is a time for people to rest. In Northern China, making and eating dumplings is also part of the tradition. As the cold wind blows, the house is filled with steam from the newly boiled dumplings, the smell of food and the laughter from the families. Everything turns cold during this time and the natural world fades. Yet, in this bleakness, we see a life of warmth amongst the people.

As we enter into winter, the temperature difference between day and night is obvious. Cold, rainy and snowy weather creeps in. Both the North and the South of China feel this coldness and people like to eat hot food. It warms the body, gives strength and helps one to fight against the flu. Now, you can hear students and teachers telling each other to keep warm because winter is here. No matter how bitter cold winter is in China, you can always find and feel warmth.

Source from Tsinghua University

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