冬至為什么要吃餃子，冬至吃餃子習(xí)俗的由來

Winter solstice, as the name implies, means the coming of winter. As an important solar term in the traditional Chinese calendar, it is also a traditional holiday for Chinese, which is also called “冬節(jié)”， “長至節(jié)”，“亞歲”, etc. Generally, winter solstice occurs between December 21st and 23rd.

冬至，顧名思義是“冬天到來”的意思。這是中國農(nóng)歷中一個非常重要的節(jié)氣，也是中華民族的一個傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日，也稱“冬節(jié)”、“長至節(jié)”、“亞歲”等。冬至一般是在公歷十二月二十一日至二十三日之間。

According to the traditional Chinese calendar, five days constitutes a pentad and three pentads constitutes a solar term. One year is divided into twelve periods and twelve climates which are regarded as twenty-four solar terms. The Winter Solstice is one of twenty-four solar terms. On this day, in the Northern Hemisphere the period of daytime is the shortest of the year and the period of night is longest. In Northern China during winter solstice there is a custom of eating dumplings.

依照中國傳統(tǒng)的歷法，五日為一候，三候為一氣，一年又分為十二節(jié)和十二氣，合稱為二十四節(jié)氣，而冬至就是二十四節(jié)氣之一。這一天是北半球全年中白天最短、夜晚最長的一天。中國北方大部分地區(qū)在這一天有吃餃子的習(xí)俗。

Dumpling is a Chinese cuisine.

餃子是中國的一種特色美食。

Firstly, white flour is rolled out into dough skins and then vegetables, ground meat and seasonings are placed inside. After the dumplings are wrapped, they are boiled in hot water. They are enjoyed with a variety of different condiments. You can dip them in soy sauce, vinegar, or chili oil. Dumplings are truly delicious!

先用白面搟成皮，再把中間放上調(diào)好味的菜和肉餡，包好，在熱水里煮熟。吃的時候，還可以蘸上醬油、醋、辣椒油和成的調(diào)料汁，真是鮮香美味。

Actually, the tradition of eating dumplings during winter solstice has its origin in early times.

其實，冬至吃餃子的習(xí)俗由來已久。

It is said that dumplings were invented by Zhang Zhongjing, a well-known doctor from the Eastern-Han Dynasty. One winter, he saw that many people’s ears were frozen and it troubled him. When he went home, he asked his disciples to boil mutton, chilies and other ingredients with medicinal properties for fending off cold in a pot. After these were boiled, they ladled the mutton and other ingredients out of the pot, chopped them into pieces, and then wrapped them with dough skins in the shape of ears. Afterward, they put these into pots to boil again. On the day of the winter solstice, the people whose ears were frozen were sent to eat the dumplings. Zhang Zhongjing called it “cold dispelling dumpling soup”. People who ate it felt warm from head to toe. Their ears heated up, healing ailments caused by the cold.

傳說，餃子是東漢名醫(yī)張仲景發(fā)明的。有一年冬天，他看到很多人耳朵凍爛了，心里很難受?；丶液?，張仲景讓他的弟子用羊肉、辣椒和一些驅(qū)寒藥放在鍋里煮。等煮好后，把羊肉、藥物撈出來切碎，用面皮包成一只只耳朵形狀，再放在鍋里煮，冬至那天，專門送給凍傷的人吃。張仲景把這種治傷的藥叫“祛寒嬌耳湯”，吃過的人只覺得渾身發(fā)暖，兩耳生熱，耳朵上的凍傷都好了。

Thereafter, every winter solstice Zhang Zhongjing made “cold dispelling dumpling soup” in order to prevent and cure ailments caused by the cold. . Then there became a saying that if you eat dumplings during the winter solstice, then you won’t freeze your ears off. Afterwards, Zhang Zhongjing died on the day of wintersolstice. In order to honor his memory, every year on the day of the winter solstice every household makes dumplings. Who would have thought that this medicinal cuisine, created by Zhang Zhongjing---the medical sage and handed down to us till today, would become gourmet food on holidays!

以后，每到冬至張仲景都做“祛寒嬌耳湯”，送給大家吃，預(yù)防和治療凍傷。此后就有了一個說法：冬至吃了餃子，耳朵就不會凍掉了。后來，張仲景在冬至那天去世。人們?yōu)榱思o(jì)念他，每年冬至家家戶戶包餃子吃。沒想到醫(yī)圣張仲景的這一道藥膳流傳到了今天，竟成為我們節(jié)日餐桌上的一道美食。