TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Thursday (Dec. 22) is the Dongzhi (冬至, extreme of winter) Festival or winter solstice based on the lunisolar calendar, and like other Taiwanese festivals there are a number of taboos traditionally followed.
Dongzhi is the longest night and shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere, with yin energy (陰氣) at its apex and yang energy (陽氣) at its nadir. Ancients believed that after this date, yang energy (陽氣) gradually begins to increase and considered the day more important than the Lunar New Year.
The date is considered a day to give gifts, drink alcohol, have fun, and worship the gods. However, there are several taboos and customs observed on Dongzhi to ensure a fortuitous year ahead.
The following are Dongzhi don'ts listed by numerologist Lin Lin (林霖) on her Facebook page:
1. Do not attend funerals, farewell ceremonies, or visit hospitals
Given that yin energy is at its greatest on Dongzhi, it is advised that people avoid ceremonies or places that have negative energy. The taboo on hospital visits only applies to healthy people visiting sick friends and relatives, and does not apply to people who have urgent medical needs.
2. Do not make major decisions
Examples of major decisions to be avoided on this day include drafting or signing contracts, engaging in business deals, purchasing a house, signing a rental agreement, and accepting project proposals.
3. Do not get married or move into a new home
Dongzhi is a period when Yin and Yang energies change, causing relationships between men and women to become more complex. Couples should avoid getting engaged or married on this day.
This includes avoiding the key traditional stages of the formal wedding proposal process such as nacai (納采), giving gifts to the fiancée's parents, and wenming (問名), a divination ceremony to determine whether the couple is a good match.
People should also avoid moving into a new home or having a groundbreaking ceremony on this day.
4. Do not have sex
During Dongzhi, the temperature is low and yin energy vigorous. If men and women are too energetic together, it could result in a leak of men's yang energy. This could cause yin energy to enter men's bodies and harm their souls.
5. Do not gossip or get in arguments
Dongzhi is a day the solar terms change. Lovers and friends should not get angry or quarrel when going out, so as not to affect their aura and destroy their protective magnetic field.
Do eat tangyuan
One thing that people definitely should do on Donzhi is eat tangyuan as it signifies the reunion of the whole family and success for the coming year. Red tangyuan symbolizes gold, attracting romance and popularity, while white represents silver, which can attract wealth and prosperous business.
One should eat at least one red and one white tangyuan, which symbolizes reunion and perfection and will lead to happiness in the new year. However, when eating tangyuan, they must be eaten in even numbers in order to have their desired effect on good fortune.