The Winter Solstice
你听过“冬至”吗？冬至是一年里白天最短、黑夜最长的日子。冬至在古代被当作过年，虽然在台湾冬至没有放假，但还是一个很重要的节日。
Have you heard of the Dongzhi Festival? It is also known as the Winter Solstice in Taiwan – the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Traditionally, Dongzhi was also a celebration of the new year. Today, even though it is not an official day off, Dongzhi is still regarded as an important festival in Taiwan. This year (2021) it falls on 21st December.
冬、至，就是冬天到了的意思。天气冷了，这天大家都要和家人聚在一起，吃象征“团圆”的汤圆，喝用鸡猪牛羊炖的补汤，也会祭祖拜拜，祈求健健康康、团团圆圆地渡过冬天。不过要注意的是，因为汤圆象征着团圆，所以有些人不吃单数、只吃双数。
Dōng (winter) zhì (arrive), literally means ‘the arrival of winter’. As the temperature drops, it is also a time for families to get together and feast upon tāngyuán (汤圆/湯圓, glutinous rice balls) that symbolizes ‘reunion’. People also drink broths cooked with chicken, pork, beef, or mutton, and pray to ancestors for good health and for the family to be reunited throughout the winter season. It is worth noting that because tangyuan are a symbol of family reunion, these desserts are sometimes only eaten in even numbers, and not odd numbers!
Tangyuan
冬至最重要的主角——汤圆，也有很多不同的型态：一般会买没有馅料的红、白小汤圆，做成甜汤圆汤、咸汤圆汤。现在在便利商店也都能买到有馅料的汤圆，像是花生、芝麻、抹茶，甚至还有珍珠奶茶口味！在客家人中也有吃有馅咸汤圆的传统。
Tangyuan – the star of the Dongzhi Festival – come in all shapes and sizes, usually red or white colors without any filling, and are often served in sweet or savory soups. You can now also buy tangyuan in convenience stores and choose from a variety of fillings, such as peanut, sesame, matcha, and even bubble milk tea flavors! Savory tangyuan are also a traditional dish in Hakka culture.
Penghu’s Special Variety of “Tangyuan”
台湾最大的离岛——澎湖，也有自己独特的冬至文化。澎湖土地不肥沃，冬天又冷、风又大，古时候为了尽量不杀生，在冬至主要还是以吃素为主。澎湖人会做“鸡母狗仔（台语）”，也就是用糯米作成动物的形状去蒸食。而澎湖人做的咸汤圆称为“菜茧（或称菜干）”，比一般的汤圆大三倍，菜茧跟汤圆不一样，不是放在水里煮，跟鸡母狗一样，是用蒸的。不过当然到了衣食无缺的现代，菜茧也常常做成荤的。如果你觉得咸汤圆好吃，你一定要试试看菜茧，因为真的超级好吃！
Penghu – Taiwan’s large outlying islands – also have their own unique way to celebrate the Dongzhi Festival. Due to the islands’ infertile soil, cold winter weather, and strong winds, they have a tradition to refrain from killing animals and take on a vegetarian diet during Dongzhi. Islanders make special dumpling dish (雞母狗仔 – this is Taiwanese), a kind of steam-cooked sweet rice dumpling made from glutinous rice, and a sticky rice pastry called 菜繭(cài jiǎn, or cài gān). They are three times larger than tangyuan, but unlike tangyuan which are boiled in water, cai jian are steam-cooked. However, with the ample food and ingredients we now have today, you can find cai jian made with meat. If you like savory tangyuan, then cai jian are a must-try!
Other Customs
除此之外，因为冬至这天白天最短、阴气最重，所以冬至天黑后会尽量不在外面逗留，也是个早早回家陪家人的好理由。如果你有机会在冬至的时候待在台湾，何不入境随俗，问问看你的台湾朋友愿不愿意跟你一起过冬至吧！也许热情的台湾人会带你回家，跟他的家人一起吃团圆饭喔！
Finally, because Dongzhi is the shortest day of the year, it is also a day heavy with Yin energy. Therefore it is advised to not stay out after dark, which is also a good reason to go home early to be with your family. So, if you’re visiting Taiwan during the Dongzhi Festival, why not follow these traditions and celebrate this festival with a friend! Maybe you’ll even meet someone hospitable enough to invite you home for a traditional Taiwanese family reunion dinner!
Traditional Chinese Text
你聽過「冬至」嗎？冬至是一年里白天最短、黑夜最長的日子。冬至在古代被當作過年，雖然在台灣冬至沒有放假，但還是一個很重要的節日。
冬、至，就是冬天到了的意思。天氣冷了，這天大家都要和家人聚在一起，吃象徵「團圓」的湯圓，喝用雞豬牛羊燉的補湯，也會祭祖拜拜，祈求健健康康、團團圓圓地渡過冬天。不過要注意的是，因為湯圓象徵著團圓，所以有些人不吃單數、只吃雙數。
冬至最重要的主角——湯圓，也有很多不同的型態：一般會買沒有餡料的紅、白小湯圓，做成甜湯圓湯、咸湯圓湯。現在在便利商店也都能買到有餡料的湯圓，像是花生、芝麻、抹茶，甚至還有珍珠奶茶口味！在客家人中也有吃有餡咸湯圓的傳統。
台灣最大的離島——澎湖，也有自己獨特的冬至文化。澎湖土地不肥沃，冬天又冷、風又大，古時候為了盡量不殺生，在冬至主要還是以吃素為主。澎湖人會做「雞母狗仔（台語）」，也就是用糯米作成動物的形狀去蒸食。而澎湖人做的咸湯圓稱為「菜繭（或稱菜乾）」，比一般的湯圓大三倍，菜繭跟湯圓不一樣，不是放在水里煮，跟雞母狗一樣，是用蒸的。不過當然到了衣食無缺的現代，菜繭也常常做成葷的。如果你覺得咸湯圓好吃，你一定要試試看菜繭，因為真的超級好吃！
除此之外，因為冬至這天白天最短、陰氣最重，所以冬至天黑後會盡量不在外面逗留，也是個早早回家陪家人的好理由。如果你有機會在冬至的時候待在台灣，何不入境隨俗，問問看你的台灣朋友願不願意跟你一起過冬至吧！也許熱情的台灣人會帶你回家，跟他的家人一起吃團圓飯喔！
Transcript from cooking part of the video [Simplified Chinese]
我这次买的甜汤圆有花生跟芝麻口味，汤的部分很简单，大部分人都是用糖水，不过我从小就是加牛奶，长大后我喜欢泡自己爱喝的茶，再把汤圆加进去，吃起来不会太甜。汤圆煮滚浮起来后就可以吃喽！咸汤圆首先我们来做馅料。其实你想要加什么都可以。我这次是做素的咸汤圆所以我用胡萝卜 杏鲍菇、 芹菜、 板豆腐、 干香菇、 腐竹 把它们切碎接下来加入你喜欢的油或是调味料我加了姜油 红油辣子 蒜头 酱油 再加一点胡椒粉 炒到酱汁收干再来是咸汤圆的汤头。我买了现成的蔬菜汤包 加上红葱油、葱、酱油还有剩下的食材， 等待煮滚的时候 我们来做汤圆外皮吧！汤圆外皮的材料非常简单，只有热水跟糯米粉热水可以让汤圆皮更好成团只要揉到不黏手就好了汤圆皮不太好捏所以你可以做任何形状都没关系。我做成了水饺状因为素咸汤圆的馅料已经熟了所以煮的时候只要等外皮熟就可以了加到汤里就是一碗好吃的咸汤圆喽！