The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Winter Solstice (冬至), the 22nd solar term of the year, begins this year on Dec 22 and ends on Jan 5.
中国传统农历将一年分为 24 个节气。冬至是一年中的第 22 个节气，从今年的 12 月 22 日开始，到 1 月 5 日结束。
On the first day of Winter Solstice, the Northern Hemisphere experiences the shortest day and the longest night in the year, as the sun shines directly at the Tropic of Capricorn. From then on, the days become longer and the nights become shorter. The Winter Solstice also marks the arrival of the coldest season in the year.
冬至的第一天，太阳直射南回归线，北半球迎来一年中白天最短、黑夜最长的一天。此后，白天变长，夜晚变短。冬至也标志着一年中最寒冷季节的到来。
In northern China where it can get bitterly cold, the people lacked sufficient warm clothing and adequate heating, so they ate hot food and drank hot liquids to stay warm. People believed that when the days were short, there was insufficient Yang energy, and they tried to eat high Yang foods according to Chinese medicinal cuisine principals.
古时候在严寒的中国北方，人们缺乏足够的御寒衣物和充足的暖气，因此只能吃热食、喝热饮来取暖。人们认为天短，阳气不足，于是根据药膳的原理，尽量吃“阳性”食物。
Winter Solstice is a time for the family to get together. One activity that occurs during these get together (especially in the southern parts of China and in Chinese communities overseas) is the making and eating of Tangyuan or balls of glutinous rice, which symbolize reunion. And in North China, eating dumplings is essential to the festival.
冬至是家人团聚的日子。在这些团聚活动中（尤其是在中国南方地区和海外华人社区），有一项活动是制作和食用象征团圆的汤圆或糯米团。而在中国北方，吃饺子则是冬至必不可少的活动。
All these customs，Winter Solstice becomes a heartening day embodying the spirit of reunions and hopeful beginnings. As people often say, "The Winter Solstice is as significant as the Spring Festival."
这些传统，让冬至变成了一个温暖的日子，团圆与希望是这个节日的主题，正如古人所说，“冬至大如年”。
上周的一场大雪让“冬至”更应景。那么各种雪在英文当中如何表达，又是怎样在诗词中呈现的呢？来和我们国际部的同学一起学习一下吧。https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/uqNPKSIJ-YviMyH1DsdhJw
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