The Dongzhi Festival, also known as the Winter Solstice Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated with great fanfare and enthusiasm every year. It is celebrated during the Dongzhi solar term (winter solstice), which falls between December 21 and December 23, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year. The festival is observed in East Asian countries like China, Taiwan, and parts of Southeast Asia. This year, Dongzhi Festival 2023 will be celebrated on December 22. Dongzhi symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and represents that the days will grow longer and bring balance and harmony to people's lives. Traditionally, the Dongzhi Festival is a time for families to eat together, and one activity that occurs during these get-togethers is the making and eating of tangyuan or balls of glutinous rice, which symbolises reunion. Scroll down to learn more about the Dongzhi Festival 2023 date, the history and significance of the traditional Chinese festival, and more. Winter Solstice 2023 Date, History and Significance: When Is the Shortest Day of the Year? Know All About the December Solstice.

Dongzhi Festival 2023 Date

Dongzhi Festival 2023 will be celebrated on Friday, December 22.

Dongzhi Festival History

The Dongzhi Festival was first celebrated by the Chinese during the Zhou Dynasty (1045 BC–256 BC). However, the festival was declared an official celebration during the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 BC). During this festival, the Han people would take a break from work to celebrate with their families and honour their ancestors by burning joss paper at their ancestral shrines to show gratitude. In Chinese culture, the word ‘Dong’ means ‘winter’ while ‘Zhi’ means ‘arrival’, which means the festival ‘the arrival of winter’. The origins of the Dongzhi Festival can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. After the Dongzhi Festival, it is said that days will have longer daylight hours and, therefore create an increase in positive energy flowing in. Yule 2023: 'Burning Yule Log' to Preparing 'Buche De Noel', Celebrate This Winter Solstice Tradition Symbolising the Return of Light.

Dongzhi Festival Significance

The Dongzhi Festival holds great significance in Chinese culture. According to the Chinese beliefs of yin yang, ‘Yang’ represents positive energy, warmth, and light. After the Dongzhi Festival, the days will gradually lengthen as ‘Yang’ increases. The Dongzhi Festival has historically been associated with various agricultural activities in China. As the Dongzhi festival represents the winter solstice, it is an important time to harvest winter crops like wheat, barley, and radishes. It is also an important time to pay respect to certain livestock and feed them special meals to celebrate the occasion.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 23, 2023 11:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).