The Winter Solstice is here again! Many Chinese, learn that we gather to eat the glutinous rice balls for this festival but few knows the reason why. For my husband, any festival which he gets to eat something, makes him happy so he wouldn't probe further.

If you wikipedia "Winter Solstice" you will get an article that tells you this is the shortest day and longest night which you will experience in the year, along with some significance that it is time for the animals to mate, time to harvest the crops and the awakening of the nature.

If all that sounds weird and uninteresting to you, then let me share with you the significance of it in a Chinese's context based on what I had learn growing up from a traditional family, as well as what I had gathered from Baidu. So the next time someone ask you, you can answer them easily. So, here I present to you,

5 things you need to know about Winter Solstice:

1. During Winter Solstice "冬至". The Chinese gathers to make glutinous rice balls known as "汤圆" to worship our ancestors and gods before they sit together to enjoy the dessert as a family.This is made by mixing glutinous rice flour with water, molding them into balls and boiling them in a sweet (black sugar + Pandan leaf + Ginger) or savory (Peanut) soup. The traditional types comes with pink and white balls.
2. The roundness in the glutinous rice balls represents reunion, fullness for a family “团圆”“圆满”. This is often why they come in a round shape rather than fanciful shapes. We are often told to make this balls with both hands, to signify our sincerity to the gods.However, with the modernized times, the glutinous rice balls now comes in various cute animal shapes, a rainbow of colours and even in different sizes. This is one way to entice the new generations to continue the traditional as well as for kids to enjoy this treat. Many also choose to purchase ready made glutinous rice balls instead of making it by themselves due to their busy schedules.
3. As the Chinese believes in auspiciousness and that good things come in pairs, we often make an even number of glutinous rice balls.
4. Winter Solstice often signify the start of the next Chinese Lunar year, therefore the family must eat the glutinous balls together as a sign of reunion and that the family will be together for the next year to come.
5. Since it signifies the beginning of a new Chinese Lunar year, finishing the dessert means that we have all grown a year older after the dessert.