Winter Solstice
Longest night; yin at absolute peak; the cosmic turning toward returning yang begins.
In plain terms: Winter Solstice is one of the 24 markers in the traditional Chinese calendar that track how the seasons change through the year — longest night; yin at absolute peak; the cosmic turning toward returning yang begins..
Energy of This Solar Term
The cosmic counterpoint to summer solstice. Yin reaches its maximum; from here yang begins its slow return. Classical Chinese culture treats this as a major celebratory day, the cosmic new year of energy.
TCM Seasonal Living
Kidney essence at storage peak; protect the kidney through deep rest and warming foods.
Foods to Emphasize
Tangyuan (sweet rice ball soup, the traditional dongzhi dish), dumplings (in northern China), eight treasure congee, lamb dumplings, and aged spirits.
Practices for This Period
Eat the traditional tangyuan or dumplings (symbolizing wholeness and family unity); spend the day with family; reflect on the cosmic turn; set the seed of new yang intentions for the coming year.