Dear Pak Djona, Berikut sejarah mengenai "Tong Ciet" alias Festival Dong Zhi
Salam, Hendy Lie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Solstice_Festival <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Solstice_Festival> Winter Solstice Festival The Winter Solstice Festival (Chinese <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Language> : å¬è³; Pinyin <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin> : dÅng zhì; "The Extreme of Winter") is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians during the dongzhi <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongzhi> solar term <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_term> on or around December 21 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_21> when sunshine is weakest and daylight shortest; i.e., on the first day of the dongzhi <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongzhi> solar term <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_term> The origins of this festival can be traced back to the Yin and Yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. After this celebration, there will be days with longer daylight hours and therefore an increase in positive energy flowing in. The philosophical significance of this is symbolized by the I Ching <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching> hexagram <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexagram_%28I_Ching%29> fù <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching_hexagram_24> (復, "Returning"). Traditionally, the Dongzhi Festival is also a time for the family to get together. One activity that occurs during these get togethers (especially in the southern parts of China and in Chinese communities overseas <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Chinese> ) is the making and eating of Tangyuan <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangyuan> (湯å", as pronounced in Cantonese <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Cantonese> ; Mandarin <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Mandarin> Pinyin <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin> : TÄng Yuán) or balls of glutinuous rice, which symbolize reunion. Tangyuan are made of glutinuous rice flour and sometimes brightly coloured. Every one in the family receives at least one large Tang Yuan and several small ones. The flour balls may be plain or stuffed. They are cooked in a sweet soup or savoury broth with both the ball and the soup/broth served in one bowl. In northern China, people typically eat dumplings on dongzhi. It is said to have originated from Zhang Zhongjing <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Zhongjing> of Han Dynasty. On one cold winter day, he saw the poor suffering from chilblains on their ears. Feeling sympathetic, he ordered his apprentices to make dumplings with lamb and other ingredients, distributed them among the poor to keep them warm. Since the dumplings were shaped like ears, Zhang named it "qÇ hán jiÄo Är tÄng" or dumpling soup that expels the cold. From then on it became a tradition passed down to eat dumplings on the day of dongzhi to keep the ears from getting chilblains. http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Parc/1486/festival/dongzhi.html <http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Parc/1486/festival/dongzhi.html> DONG ZHI Dong Zhi is the thanksgiving of the Chinese calendar. "Dong Zhi" literally means "arrival of winter". Coinciding with the winter solstice, it is an occasion for the family to get together to celebrate the good year they have had. Tang Yuan (ÃÃÃ"²) is cooked and eaten to symbolise unity and harmony within the family. Dong Zhi occurs 6 weeks before Chinese New Year and would normally fall between 21st Dec and 23rd Dec. ORIGIN Winter solstice signifies the beginning of winter. The sun is at the Tropic of Capricorn and this results in the longest night of the year for those living in the northern hemisphere. The festival began as a farmer's festival to celebrate year-end harvest. CELEBRATION Dong Zhi is a time for family reunion. Tang Yuan, sweet soup of glutinuous rice flour balls, is indispensible during this festival. "Yuan" (literally meaning "round") signifies "yuan man" (complete / Ã"²Ãú ) and Tang Yuan means "tuan yuan" (family reunion / Ãà Ã"² ). Eating Tang Yuan is symbolic of family unity and family prosperity. For good luck, families prefer to have some pink tang yuan to mix with the white ones. --- In [email protected], Djona Jusuf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Saya sudah ga inget lagi lho, kalau ada " Tung Ciet ", > jadi beberapa tahun ini sudah ga pernah makan "Siat > Jan" lagi, padahal dulu tiap tahun kita mesti makan > sit jan dirumah. > Kalau boleh tanya, sejarah "Tung Ciet" itu bagaimana > ya? Terus terang saya sudah ga inget sama sekali. > Mohon rekan-rekan yang tahu bisa kasih infonya, > Kamchia..... > Salam, > Djona Jusuf
