Festival · 节日
Winter Solstice (冬至)
The longest night, a bowl of something warm, and the light coming back.
Dongzhi (冬至, "winter's extreme") is the winter solstice: the longest night of the year and one of the 24 solar terms. In Chinese thought it is the moment yin reaches its peak and yang begins to return (冬至一阳生), so for centuries it was celebrated almost like a second New Year. Families gather for a warm meal: dumplings in northern China, sweet glutinous-rice tangyuan in the south and across the diaspora.
When does Winter Solstice fall?
- 2026 — Tuesday, December 22, 2026 (2026年12月22日)
- 2027 — Wednesday, December 22, 2027 (2027年12月22日)
- 2028 — Thursday, December 21, 2028 (2028年12月21日)
Traditions
Tangyuan (汤圆 / 冬至圆)
In southern China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and much of Southeast Asia, families roll and eat sweet glutinous-rice balls. Their roundness stands for reunion, and many families say eating them on Dongzhi means you have grown a year older.
Dumplings (饺子)
In the north, dumplings are the Dongzhi dish. A popular legend credits the Han-dynasty physician Zhang Zhongjing (张仲景) with making ear-shaped dumplings to cure villagers' frostbitten ears; a folk rhyme still warns that if you skip dumplings on Dongzhi, your ears will freeze.
"Dongzhi is as big as New Year" (冬至大过年)
Cantonese and Hokkien families often hold a reunion dinner (做冬) on the eve or the day itself, and many honor ancestors with offerings. In some regions it ranks just behind Lunar New Year.
Counting the nines (数九)
Dongzhi starts the "nine nines": 81 coldest days counted in nine-day blocks. Some families color in a plum-blossom chart (九九消寒图), one petal a day, until spring arrives.
Winter nourishment (进补)
Following traditional Chinese medicine, many families start warming foods around Dongzhi: lamb soup in the north, ginger, and rich broths. In Suzhou, people drink a sweet winter wine (冬酿酒).
Common questions
When is Dongzhi 2026?
Dongzhi 2026 falls on Tuesday, December 22, 2026 in China (UTC+8). Because it is pinned to the astronomical solstice, in the Americas the solstice moment can fall on the previous calendar day; families usually celebrate on the Chinese calendar date or the nearest weekend.
What do you eat on Dongzhi?
Tangyuan (sweet glutinous-rice balls) in southern China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia; dumplings in northern China. Wontons, lamb soup and rice cakes are regional favorites too.
Why is the winter solstice important in Chinese culture?
It marks the turning point when yin peaks and yang begins to return, so days start getting longer. In ancient China it was a major court holiday, and the saying "Dongzhi is as big as New Year" (冬至大过年) survives in many families.
Is Dongzhi a public holiday?
It is not a public holiday in mainland China. Macau observes it as a public holiday, and in Hong Kong it is one of the statutory holidays employers may choose (instead of Christmas Day). Elsewhere it is a family occasion, often celebrated with dinner at home.