Winter solstice, as the name implies, means the coming of winter. As an important solar term in the traditional Chinese calendar, it is also a traditional holiday for Chinese, which is also called “冬节”， “长至节”，“亚岁”, etc. Generally, winter solstice occurs between December 21st and 23rd.

冬至，顾名思义是“冬天到来”的意思。这是中国农历中一个非常重要的节气，也是中华民族的一个传统节日，也称“冬节”、“长至节”、“亚岁”等。冬至一般是在公历十二月二十一日至二十三日之间。

According to the traditional Chinese calendar, five days constitutes a pentad and three pentads constitutes a solar term. One year is divided into twelve periods and twelve climates which are regarded as twenty-four solar terms. The Winter Solstice is one of twenty-four solar terms. On this day, in the Northern Hemisphere the period of daytime is the shortest of the year and the period of night is longest. In Northern China during winter solstice there is a custom of eating dumplings.

依照中国传统的历法，五日为一候，三候为一气，一年又分为十二节和十二气，合称为二十四节气，而冬至就是二十四节气之一。这一天是北半球全年中白天最短、夜晚最长的一天。中国北方大部分地区在这一天有吃饺子的习俗。

Dumpling is a Chinese cuisine¹.

饺子是中国的一种特色美食。

Firstly, white flour is rolled out into dough² skins and then vegetables, ground meat and seasonings³ are placed inside. After the dumplings are wrapped, they are boiled in hot water. They are enjoyed with a variety of different condiments⁴. You can dip them in soy sauce, vinegar, or chili⁵ oil. Dumplings are truly delicious!

先用白面擀成皮，再把中间放上调好味的菜和肉馅，包好，在热水里煮熟。吃的时候，还可以蘸上酱油、醋、辣椒油和成的调料汁，真是鲜香美味。

Actually, the tradition of eating dumplings during winter solstice has its origin in early times.

其实，冬至吃饺子的习俗由来已久。

It is said that dumplings were invented by Zhang Zhongjing, a well-known doctor from the Eastern-Han Dynasty. One winter, he saw that many people’s ears were frozen and it troubled him. When he went home, he asked his disciples⁶ to boil mutton, chilies⁷ and other ingredients with medicinal properties for fending⁸ off cold in a pot. After these were boiled, they ladled the mutton and other ingredients out of the pot, chopped them into pieces, and then wrapped them with dough skins in the shape of ears. Afterward⁹, they put these into pots to boil again. On the day of the winter solstice, the people whose ears were frozen were sent to eat the dumplings. Zhang Zhongjing called it “cold dispelling¹⁰ dumpling soup”. People who ate it felt warm from head to toe. Their ears heated up, healing ailments¹¹ caused by the cold.

传说，饺子是东汉名医张仲景发明的。有一年冬天，他看到很多人耳朵冻烂了，心里很难受。回家后，张仲景让他的弟子用羊肉、辣椒和一些驱寒药放在锅里煮。等煮好后，把羊肉、药物捞出来切碎，用面皮包成一只只耳朵形状，再放在锅里煮，冬至那天，专门送给冻伤的人吃。张仲景把这种治伤的药叫“祛寒娇耳汤”，吃过的人只觉得浑身发暖，两耳生热，耳朵上的冻伤都好了。

Thereafter, every winter solstice Zhang Zhongjing made “cold dispelling dumpling soup” in order to prevent and cure ailments caused by the cold. . Then there became a saying that if you eat dumplings during the winter solstice, then you won’t freeze your ears off. Afterwards, Zhang Zhongjing died on the day of winter solstice. In order to honor his memory, every year on the day of the winter solstice every household makes dumplings. Who would have thought that this medicinal cuisine, created by Zhang Zhongjing---the medical sage¹² and handed down to us till today, would become gourmet¹³ food on holidays!

以后，每到冬至张仲景都做“祛寒娇耳汤”，送给大家吃，预防和治疗冻伤。此后就有了一个说法：冬至吃了饺子，耳朵就不会冻掉了。后来，张仲景在冬至那天去世。人们为了纪念他，每年冬至家家户户包饺子吃。没想到医圣张仲景的这一道药膳流传到了今天，竟成为我们节日餐桌上的一道美食。