The winter
solstice is a major festival celebrated in the West and East. The solstice
marks the beginning of winter and has been celebrated for thousands of years.
In the UK,
the winter solstice is a major pagan festival, with rituals of rebirth as revelers
gather at Stonehenge to watch the sunrise. In ancient times, the winter solstice
celebration is to mark the last day of the Mayan calendar, signaling the end of
the world.
However,
the world did not end so today is a celebration to mark the rebirth of a new
year!
The question
of whether the Stonehenge was built to celebrate the winter solstice remains a
mystery till today. That is one expert’s
theory, but there are several theories as to why the stone structure was built,
include that it was a temple of worship to the Sun; an ancient royal burial
ground; or as an astronomical observatory. But none of these theories has been
proven true so the Stonehenge remains a mystery.
Traditionally,
the Chinese family will get together and one of the fun activities is the
making and eating of tangyuan or glutinous rice balls, which symbolize reunion.
In
Malaysia, the winter solstice festival is better known as the Tang Yuan
festival. Tang Yuan are made of glutinous
rice flour and mostly in bright colors of red, pink or yellow. They are served in an aromatic soup made of
brown sugar, water and seasoned with pandan leaves and ginger.
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