冬至是我国农历中一个非常重要的节气，也是一个传统节日，至今不少地方仍有过冬至节的习俗。在二十四节气中，冬至节是被最早制定出来的一个，时间约在每年12月22日至23日左右。冬至是北半球全年中白天最短、黑夜最长的一天，过了冬至，白天就会一天天变长,各地气候都进入一个最寒冷的阶段，也就是人们常说的“进九”，我国民间有“冷在三九，热在三伏”的说法。 现在，一些地方还把冬至作为一个节日来过。北方地区有冬至宰羊，吃饺子、吃馄饨的习俗，南方地区在这一天则有吃冬至米团、冬至长线面的习惯。各个地区在冬至这一天还有祭天祭祖的习俗。

Winter solstice is a very important solar term in Chinese Lunar calendar. 

Being a traditional holiday as well, it is still now celebrated quite often in many regions. Early during the Spring and Autumn period, 2500 odd years from now, Winter solsticewas first determined as the Chinese traditional solar term among the total 24 terms. In Gregorian calendar, it is around Dec 22nd or 23rd.

Midwinter day is the very day in North hemisphere with the shortest day and longest night year-round. After it, daytime will become increasingly longer and the coldest clime will invade all the places on the Northern part of the globe. We Chinese always call it "JinJiu", which means once Winter solstice comes, we will meet the coldest time ahead.

That conclusion is proved well founded. According to scientific results, on Winter solstice, a right angle is formed by the sun and the tropic of carpricorn. Thus, the North hemisphere receives the least sunlight and the shortest day and longest night occur.

Ancient china did pay great attention to this holiday, regarding it as a big event. There was the saying that "Winter solstice holiday is greater than the spring festival". Nowadays, many regions still celebrate it as a big holiday. Northerners may have dumplings and raviolis that day while southerners may have dumplings made by rice and long noodles. Some places even have the tradition to offer sacrifices to the heaven and earth.

（通讯员东南大学方姝琦投稿 英语点津陈蓓编辑 ）