Winter Solstice
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The Dongzhì Festival or The Winter Solstice Festival "The Extreme of Winter" is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians during the dongzhi solar term on or around December 21 when sunshine is weakest and daylight shortest; i.e., on the first day of the dongzhi solar term
The origins of this festival can be traced back to the Yin and Yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. After this celebration, there will be days with longer daylight hours and therefore an increase in positive energy flowing in. The philosophical significance of this is symbolized by the I Ching hexagram fù ("Returning" ).
Traditionally, the Dongzhi Festival is also a time for the family to get together. One activity that occurs during these get togethers (especially in the southern parts of China and in Chinese communities overseas) is the making and eating of Tangyuan or balls of glutinuous rice, which symbolize reunion. Tangyuan are made of glutinuous rice flour and sometimes brightly coloured. Every one in the family receives at least one large Tang Yuan and several small ones. The flour balls may be plain or stuffed. They are cooked in a sweet soup or savoury broth with both the ball and the soup/broth served in one bowl.
In northern China, people typically eat dumplings on dongzhi. It is said to have originated from Zhang Zhongjing of Han Dynasty. On one cold winter day, he saw the poor suffering from chilblains on their ears. Feeling sympathetic, he ordered his apprentices to make dumplings with lamb and other ingredients, distributed them among the poor to keep them warm. Since the dumplings were shaped like ears, Zhang named it dumpling soup that expels the cold. From then on it became a tradition passed down to eat dumplings on the day of dongzhi to keep the ears from getting chilblains. -
me like inside is peanut one
and then roll in more peanuts then eat. -
wow..looks yummy siah
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I can see ah lau very free ..
For those Dragon babies who 'fan tai sui' this yr, have u 'returned' ur thanks ?? They are supposed to 'return' their thanks b4 Winter Solstice ... -
Zhang Zhongjing??
The famous Chinese physican? -
nabeizOriginally posted by gd4u:I can see ah lau very free ..
For those Dragon babies who 'fan tai sui' this yr, have u 'returned' ur thanks ?? They are supposed to 'return' their thanks b4 Winter Solstice ... -
I prefer those tangyuan with rock sugar in them ...
yummy
This coming Friday is the day for the family gathering, my elder sister will be back from Hong Kong for this.
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yummy yum yum peanut filling dang yuan!
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my tang yuan put meat one leh.
its super nice. diff perhaps because of my dad's dialect.
so darn yummy. put in steamboat the soup tasty and sweet with all my fishball meatball abalone all those craps -
Whose family still make their own Tangyuan?
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We make our own tangyuans but it is kosong one, no filling.I feel that they are better than those with fillings
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wowOriginally posted by ReinaTanaka:my tang yuan put meat one leh.
its super nice. diff perhaps because of my dad's dialect.
so darn yummy. put in steamboat the soup tasty and sweet with all my fishball meatball abalone all those craps
first time i heard of meat fillings
what sort of meat? char siew? minced chicken? -
eat liao then warm warm one right?Originally posted by orionlight:We make our own tangyuans but it is kosong one, no filling.I feel that they are better than those with fillings -
minced meat. ownself make at home. flatten e dough , kiap some meat put inside and make into a ball.Originally posted by laurence82:wow
first time i heard of meat fillings
what sort of meat? char siew? minced chicken?
very fun. and nice seriously -
Yea warm at heart at least it is made by the whole family, where everyone chip in to cuo1 the tangyuan, not just those buy and cook affairOriginally posted by Hogzilla:eat liao then warm warm one right?
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i hate the soggy flour balls.... taste like fuq... yuxxx
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yummy
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ur father which dialect one?Originally posted by ReinaTanaka:my tang yuan put meat one leh.
its super nice. diff perhaps because of my dad's dialect.
so darn yummy. put in steamboat the soup tasty and sweet with all my fishball meatball abalone all those craps -
I love the sesame flav.
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who is eating tang yuan today?
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i like tangyuan!!!
i mean only the filling......
normaly, i jus suck out the filling the throw away liao...
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hahahahOriginally posted by popikachu:i like tangyuan!!!
i mean only the filling......
normaly, i jus suck out the filling the throw away liao... me no money eat tangyuan 
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It's today?
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YaOriginally posted by choco B:It's today?
No wonder I saw so many aunties buying frozen tang yuen at NTUC last night
And I thought it's a promotion or something
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Aiyo I was at NTUC last night but didn't buy! >.<