Blog entry

雨水 (yushui) is the second solar term in Chinese calendar. Spring has come and the weather gets warmer with an increase in rainfall instead of snow.It is traditional for married women to return to their parents’ homes with gifts in some parts of China such as Western Sichuan.

The twelfth lunar month is called 腊月 ("la" month) and this festival is celebrated on the eighth 八(ba), hence it is called Laba Festival.

Originally it started as a day for worshiping gods and ancestors, after Buddhism was introduced to China, it also became associated with the Buddha. Some of the most well-known foods associated with this festival are Laba Congee (made with healthy grains, beans and dried fruit) and green garlic. In Northern China, cloves of garlic are pickled in vinegar which eventually turns them bright green.

22 Dec this year is 冬至 (Dongzhi) Festival or Winter Solstice in China. Winter Solstice, of course, as in other countries is the shortest day of the year and marks the peak of winter. 冬至 (Dongzhi) was the first of the solar terms in the traditional Chinese calendar to be fixed and an important festival that occurs from the 21 to the 23rd every year. Depending on the region, families gather to make and eat traditional foods to celebrate such as dumplings 饺子 or wonton 馄饨 (Beijing) in the north and tangyuan 汤圆 (glutinous rice balls) in parts of the south.

小雪 (Xiaoxue) meaning "Minor Snow" in the second winter solar term under the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. It marks the beginning of snowfall in North China and there is a folk custom of making preserved pork and sausages at this time so that they would be ready to eat in time for the Spring Festival. In the south, some areas will eat glutinous rice cakes.