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Observing LiDong: the Beginning Of Winter by eonwarped

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· @eonwarped · (edited)
$2.13
Observing LiDong: the Beginning Of Winter
![IMG_20171107_132805.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVoQijimAXMH4BMEgtUXMCXiZXqBBmbsxJiSw2wKHS42S/IMG_20171107_132805.jpg)

November 7, 2017.  LiDong. The beginning of winter.

We prepare with some friends, a warming ritual in observation. "Winter is here."

![IMG_0851.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmfAQnpegJbd5wBbmQ5mfxna8apCaoLKobvuPfvWZdU7mN/IMG_0851.JPG)

The room is filled with the scent of chicken soup. Boiling excess fat off the chicken for a heartier soup.

Some of that chicken will go to Opal. (Opal's ears perk up).

The rest will be greeted with ginger, mushroom, carrots, celery, and spice and pressure cooked.

Hearty soup, that you will have to imagine. The best way to greet the cold of winter that is to come.

![IMG_0853.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbSUtbsXVTPRADfdh96XNPUY4fQaRkJdjVxRVckVfb33C/IMG_0853.JPG)

Some plain noodles to go with it. Dry sauce noodle. The noodle here is slightly soggied due to me waiting too long to eat it. Beneath lies some sesame oil, chili oil, soy sauce and vinegar to be mixed. Yum!

![IMG_0860.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmfVQ4Fz5oBdWXoGmmx4UVhATtcvbevWBxiJwd1rwwiV68/IMG_0860.JPG)

Next were the tangerines. According to some Chinese dietary heuristic, these are considered a "chilly" type of food, which shouldn't be eaten if you have a cold. (There's vitamin C there though, so mhm... a bit torn).

We oven roasted these tangerines with sea salt. First we pierced holes in the top, and then ground sea salt into the gaps, and then into the oven they went!

![IMG_20171107_130726.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRwrH5YV7kGCdnyNwBakvgGN8Ey8jAZt3MNrEqF2aBj6y/IMG_20171107_130726.jpg)

Reflectively, I peeled the orange, and it became a flower. The salt brings out a different flavor, and the warmth of the orange hits the spot. Warm feelings all around.

![IMG_20171107_131340.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmctEcgtxJ37dqXbUQkKLxygzkbkJDwRM8NAsiQZgsXni8/IMG_20171107_131340.jpg)

Now, for dessert. Purple rice balls with sesame filling. It's a chewy texture on the outside, a bit gummy. 

![IMG_20171107_131409.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWdUBuWS1nrbhYP2zPGcsVf3evB62yU8HL1Nzrsp3RLgK/IMG_20171107_131409.jpg)

Here I can show you the sesame filling. Sesame paste is one of my favorites. Grainy, nutty, and sweet. As you might guess, this is a hot dessert, for the winter. The soup is brown sugar and this type of rice-based mixture with a very very slight hint of alcohol. Very slight, it's pretty hard to describe it. Tastes healthy, a bit medicinal too. Whatever it is, it's supposed to be good for you!

![IMG_0861.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYvBcYxgE5xcrfoDCCjyQssTw3xXRz11SfEqMqCaTigA8/IMG_0861.JPG)

This happened to someone else's dessert. They let the sesame paste ooze all the way out! Looks like a squid attacked.

![IMG_20171107_132805.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVoQijimAXMH4BMEgtUXMCXiZXqBBmbsxJiSw2wKHS42S/IMG_20171107_132805.jpg)

Finally, one more activity to close out the observance. There is a tradition where the orange peels are torn into 81 pieces. Not sure why that number is significant. This was quite meditative.

![IMG_20171107_133154.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmfP4ZhFLL5M8nWZvoxZscnZFMcH834hf6jrX9z691izMY/IMG_20171107_133154.jpg)

We then split them into various piles, to be placed around the house. Spreads nice fragrance, as well as natural energies. Something like that, I wasn't paying too much attention.

![IMG_20171115_221420.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmd5c2GgPqGJRdRedatxkyadovwv23YMBAnB7dZFDW2nwY/IMG_20171115_221420.jpg)

Here's what one pile looked like after a week. Yup. Dried up. Yup it's very dry in winter. We do have a humidifier prepared for that. Also, reminder to self to keep some chapstick around. Wife hates dry, chapped lips.

So that was our interesting ritual this year. Fellow Steemians, do you do anything to greet the winter?
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vote details (33)
@allthereisislove ·
Up voted nice
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@arbitrarykitten ·
Oh I love this! I am going to have to try the sea salt tangerines, they sound scrumptious :)
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vote details (1)
@enchantedspirit · (edited)
$0.08
This was fascinating.  I love the idea of rituals to celebrate the changes of seasons, and ones from different cultures are so intriguing.  Of course, I know the end-of-year holidays in the US like Thanksgiving and Christmas ... and the wiccan ones like Samhain and Yule, etc.  And the Day of the Dead which they celebrate in Mexico, but this one was totally new to me.

I wonder if the 81 pieces of tangerine rind are based on the concept of 9 times 9 since 9 is vibration of idealism, compassion, humanitarian values and charity in numerology.  That may not be how this culture sees it ... but it would certainly work in my world. 

(Also I understand citrus peels are said to repel insect pests ... another plus AFAIC.  It's the end of November and we still haven't had a hard enough freeze to kill off all the flies.  But global warming is a liberal hoax drummed up to keep our wonderful, philanthropic corporations from eeking out a decent living for themselves by totally ruining the planet in the next decade.  Who will celebrate the beginning of winter when *that* happens, I wonder!)

BTW, are those huge leaves actually leaves ... or placemats?  Inquiring minds want to know.


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@eonwarped ·
$0.26
Oh gosh I saw this and for some reason it completely slipped! (Wife is reading posts and found this gem again)

I'm not sure about the number but it's probably like that. Nine in Chinese or eighty one in Chinese sounding like some other phrase hmmm. That's cool that you already have an association with it. Let's go with that :)

The placemats are leaf shaped from dot and Bo apparently. They are a good conversation piece!
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@ironshield ·
$0.03
I like those photos, they look very nice.  Chicken soup and tangerines sound like a nice way to bring in the cooler weather.  @ironshield
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@livinguktaiwan ·
Thats looks very local!
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@perennial ·
Comfort food for the yellow people...way to go
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@pinstory ·
Its so relatable...grabbing my chopsticks over now
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@rodeo670 ·
This was an interesting and informative post! I've never heard of these winter traditions before. Thank you for sharing with us and teaching us more about your cultural practices!
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@valorforfreedom · (edited)
Nice ritual Eon.

I do nothing to greet the winter.

Maybe I should think of something to do that...
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@zord189 ·
Interesting.. i should try it too. :D
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