DONG ZHI REUNION DINNER

 Li Na and Li Mei

My sister, Li Mei and her family came back from Kuala Lumpur to celebrate Dong Zhi or Winter Solstice Festival  ( 冬至 )  with me on Sunday.  Dong Zhi literally means "the Arrival of Winter",  According to my elders, Dong Zhi is even more important than the lunar new year. This year the festival falls on Sunday, December 22.  There are years when it falls on December 21.
Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and longest night.  On this day the sun hugs closer to the horizon than at any other time during the year, yielding the least amount of daylight annually.
The origins of this festival can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos.After this day, there will be days with longer daylight hours until the summer solstice and therefore an increase in positive energy flowing in. The philosophical significance of this is symbolized by the I Ching hexagram fù (復, "Returning").

Traditionally, the Dong Zhi is also a time for the family to get together. Since my mum is no longer here, I have taken it upon myself to make offerings of Tang Yuen to the house deities.  Also I made myself eat one of those glutinous rice ball (湯圓), mushy though they may be. These round balls symbolize reunion.In Malaysia, the Chinese would have a grand reunion dinner to mark the occasion.  

This year my brother-in-law, Michael, took the trouble for all of us to have this reunion dinner in Ipoh.  Last year we could not celebrate as my mum passed away in June.  To the Taoist, it is not appropriate to celebrate this festival during the first year of the passing of ones parents.

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 Benjamin

 Li Mei and Michael

 Ikan Haruan or Snakehead soup (very yummy)

 Jeremy