至点 Winter Solstice 22 DEC 2010

Tang Yuan bought from Pulau Tikus morning market.
This stall sells Tang Yuan everyday so you don't have to wait for
one whole year to get this delicacy.
モーリングマーケットで買ったのおもちとスープ。

The traditional colors of Tang Yuan.　伝統的なおもち。

太陽が赤道から北または南に最も遠く離れる時は至点。中国人はおもちを食べる。
砂糖と水とパンダンリーフで作ったのスープに色付けたのおもちをこの祭りを祝う。

Dong Zhi is celebrated by Chinese all over the world on the day when the Earth"s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun and this is based on the Gregorian (Western) solar calendar. In Malaysia, Chinese families celebrate winter solstice by making tang yuan, a tradition dessert made out of rice flour which are colored by using food colouring or natural colors from flowers and leaves. This is served with clear soup made from sugar, water and screwpine leaves. Some families adds in ginger to make the soup but I found it too gingery.

This year I didn't celebrate cos Mum is spending her holidays in Adelaide and Melbourne and I am too lazy to make this dessert just for two persons. I went to Pulau Tikus morning market and bought a packet for RM2.50. When my kids were small, they love this festival very much cos they can join in the fun to make tang yuan, rolling the flour into varies sizes of round balls with their palms.