The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Start of Winter, (Chinese:立冬), the 19th solar term of the year, begins this year on Nov. 7 and ends on Nov. 22. Start of Winter is the first solar term of winter, which means winter is coming and crops harvested in autumn should be stored up. ____1____
Beginning of winter or not
In ancient times, the Chinese people took the Start of Winter to be the beginning of the winter. ____2____ The general weather conditions every year are different, so the beginning of winter could be quite different. And with the vast territory of China, winter of every area doesn’t begin at the same time.
Eating dumplings
There was a legend about the custom. The legend is about “Medical Saint” Zhang Zhongjing at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD25-220). ____3____ How? He cooked mutton, hot peppers and herbs(药草) to beat the cold and increase body heat. He put these things into a dough skin and made them into an ear shape. ____4____ Today there is still a saying that goes “Eat dumplings on Start of Winter Day, or your ears will be frostbitten (生冻疮的)”.
Eating Chinese pumpkins
In Tianjin, on the first day of Start of Winter, people eat dumplings stuffed with Chinese pumpkins. The pumpkin is a common vegetable in northern China. Generally, the pumpkins are bought in the summer. ____5____
A. However, it is not the beginning of winter in terms of meteorology (气象学).
B. He saved many people in Henan province from coldness around Start of Winter.
C. The four beginnings of the seasons were important festivals in ancient times.
D. Here are something you should know about Start of Winter.
E. On the first day of Start of Winter, there is a custom, “nourishing the winter”.
F. And it is stored until the Start of Winter when they are taken out.
G. Since then, people have learned to make the food which became known as “dumpling”.
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