The 19th Solar Term - Beginning of Winter

“Winter Begins” arrives on November 7 or November 8 each year. At this time of the year, some rivers in China start to freeze.

立冬通常是每年的11月7日或8日。每年这个时候，河水就开始结冰。

Beginning of winter or not

立冬就代表着入冬？

In ancient times, the Chinese people took the Start of Winter to be the beginning of the winter. However, in fact, the Start of Winter is not the beginning of winter in terms of meteorology. The climate every year is different, so the beginning of winter could be quite different. And with the vast territory of China, winter of every area doesn’t begin at the same time.

在中国古代人们认为立冬这一天就标志着冬季的到来，但事实上，农历的立冬并不是现在气象学上的冬季开始。而且每年气候条件都不同，实际入冬的时间就有所差异了，再加上中国幅员辽阔，各地入冬时间并不一致。

Welcoming the winter in ancient times

古代的迎冬活动

The four beginnings of the seasons were important festivals in ancient times. Before the Start of Winter, the ancient emperor would take a shower and have no more meat. On that day, the emperor would lead his officials to the suburbs and perform the ceremony of "welcoming the winter."

传统24节气中的四个“立”在中国古达是十分重要的节日，在“立冬”之前，天子就会戒斋沐浴，而到了立冬这一天就会带领群臣出游，行迎冬之礼。

Eating dumplings

吃饺子

A legend has it that at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD25-220), "Medical Saint" Zhang Zhongjing saved many people in Henan province from a typhoidepidemic and their ears’ from being frostbitten around Start of Winter.

相传在东汉（公元25年-220年）年末。“立冬”前后，很多河南的百姓患上了风寒，耳朵被冻伤，当时的医圣张仲景知道后使用其妙方法帮助百姓治好了伤寒。

He cooked mutton, hot peppers and herbs to dispel the cold and increase body heat. He wrapped these ingredients into a dough skin and made them into an ear shape. Since then, people have learned to make the food which became known as "dumpling". Today there is still a saying that goes "Eat dumplings on Start of Winter Day, or your ears will be frostbitten".

张仲景将羊肉，辣椒等驱寒药材煮熟，包如耳朵状面皮中。从此百姓开始模仿这种制作方法，制作食物，这就是现在被大家熟知的饺子，直到现在仍然有“立冬不端饺子碗，冻掉耳朵没人管”的说法。