With the 2012 apocalypse subject aside, let's move to a more grounded and cultural view of the annual event known as the winter solstice.
As you might remember from your Geography class - I had to refresh my memory reading some material on the web - the winter solstice typically falls on the 20-22 December and marks the start of winter.
In the East, there should be multiple interpretations of the event. I know of a few associated to the Chinese culture. Every year, the Chinese celebrate the 'Dongzhi' Festival, or as I like to call it, 'Tangyuan' festival. It is a time when families reunite and share tangyuan soup, a dish of glutinous rice balls cooked and eaten in sweet soup. I remember watching a TV programme that says that a family reunion on this day is more important than during the Chinese New Year. I've also heard from my family members that eating tangyuan signifies that you have grown a year older. Besides that, some of my friends worship their ancestors or pray to their gods on this day.
I'd like to learn more about how different cultures celebrate the winter solstice. So if you have knowledge of or experience any sort of cultural significance towards this day, feel free to drop a comment below. Thanks.
Cheers
zhusun
Further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongzhi_Festival
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