A solar term is a period of about two weeks, based on the sun’s position in the zodiac. Solar terms form the traditional Chinese calendar system. The calendar follows the ancient Chinese belief that living in accordance with nature will enable one to live a harmonious life. This article series explores each solar term, offering guidance on how to best navigate the season.
Solar Term: Dong Zhi–’The Extreme of Winter’
Dates: Dec. 22 to Jan. 5
This is a very special time of year and one of the most important traditional Chinese festivals.
If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, you will experience the shortest day and longest night of the year, also known as the winter solstice, during this solar term. The winter solstice occurs when the Earth’s poles reach their maximum tilt away from the sun. Winter solstices happen twice a year, once in each hemisphere at opposite times of the year (as winter and summer are inversed in the Northern and Southern hemispheres). The winter solstice signifies the beginning of longer days and shorter nights—a move into summer.
Many cultures worldwide celebrate the winter and summer solstices with festivals, family gatherings, feasts, singing, and dancing.
Dong Zhi: The Winter Solstice Festival
The date for the Dong Zhi festival changes slightly every year as it’s based on the lunar calendar and not the solar or Gregorian calendar used in the West. Dongzhi always falls on either Dec. 21, 22, or 23. This year, Dongzhi will fall on Dec. 22.
Dong Zhi means “Winter’s Arrival” and is a very important festival to the Chinese people. It’s celebrated on the winter solstice. Before the Chinese Communist Party came to power, this festival was much more significant in China. Traditionally, it involved worshiping heaven, though that aspect was repressed after the communist takeover.
People had been worshiping heaven during the Dong Zhi festival since the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.), and many temples in China had been built for this reason. The belief is that worshiping heaven will bring favorable weather, a successful harvest, and good health for the year ahead.
Honoring ancestors is also an important tradition during the Dong Zhi festival. People often go to their ancestors’ tombs, cleaning and sweeping as well as leaving offerings of food and burning incense to pay their respects.
Impact on People
Winter is the season when we want to naturally slow down and turn inward. It’s the time of year to become more introspective and consolidate our energies in preparation for the long winter ahead. Feeding ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually with activities such as journaling, meditation, prayer, and yoga are perfect at this time of year as they help us slow down and cultivate the more internal aspects of ourselves.
As the weather gets colder and there is less sunlight, we should go to bed earlier and wake later, following the sun’s natural cycles, ensuring we get adequate rest. Dressing warmly is especially important while also being mindful to keep the kidneys covered, so they don’t catch a chill.
Cooking foods for longer on lower heat imbues them with more warming properties, feeding our inner fire and helping to keep us healthy during the colder months.
Winter is associated with the kidneys in Chinese medicine, making winter the best time to strengthen and support them. The kidneys are responsible for our deepest, most fundamental energies, so eating foods that nourish the kidneys and making sure they stay warm are important for overall health.
Seasonal Foods
Warming soups and bone broths are beneficial at this time of year and act as tonics for the whole body and the kidneys in particular. Eating dark-colored foods benefits the kidneys as they are high in antioxidants, protecting our bodies from the damaging effects of free radicals that can contribute to diseases and accelerate aging. The color associated with winter and the kidneys is black, so most black foods are thought to benefit the kidneys.
Beneficial Foods for the Kidneys
These foods are considered well-suited to support the kidneys at this time of year.
- Black beans
- Black garlic
- Black rice
- Black sesame seeds
- Blackberries
- Lamb
- Chicken
- Dark leafy greens
- Plums
- Purple grapes
- Eggplant
- Soups and stews
- Bone broths
Seasonal Herbs and Essential Oils
Because we are in the coldest time of the year, we want to balance the external cold with warming herbs that we can add to what we cook, take as supplements, or make into tea.
Ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, and fenugreek seed are excellent warming herbs and perfect to incorporate into your diet during Winter, increasing your inner fire and helping to offset the external cold.
Adding essential oils to a bath or diffuser can positively affect your mood, making you more relaxed or energized, depending on what you feel you need. Essential oils also have a host of medicinal benefits and can help a variety of ailments.
Lavender essential oil is one of the most popular and versatile. Lavender is excellent for improving mood, reducing stress, and calming the body before sleep. Lavender oil can be put into a diffuser, an essential oil burner, or a bath, or you can add a drop or two on your pillow or bed sheets to help calm your body and have a more restful sleep. Lavender essential oil is also helpful in treating minor skin conditions because of its antimicrobial properties, promotes healthy skin and hair, and is an excellent remedy for headaches. Applying a drop to your temples will soothe a headache and help your entire body relax.