Winter Solstice, called dongzhi in Chinese, will fall on Saturday, December 21st this year. The seasonal marker corresponds with the longest night of the year and the culmination of the moon’s energy (yin). It also marks the darkest day of the year and the beginning of the return of light (yang).
Apart from yin reaching its maximum influence and yang its minimum, the period of Winter Solstice is also called the coldest time of year in the traditional almanac. Heralding the advent of a new season, this threshold day precedes the Spring Festival by about six weeks or two new moons.
Of course, like all traditional occasions, people often enjoy the Winter Solstice, too, with special fare. In Taiwan, this would customarily include small glutinous rice balls filled with red bean paste or other stuffing. The sweets are then boiled in water and served in a warm soup to help fend off the cold of winter.