The ancestors regarded the winter solstice day as the beginning of a year as the day's daytime is shortest in the year and daytime gradually becomes longer from the next day.

The winter solstice day, one of the 24 divisions of the year, has long been celebrated in Korea.

This day gets more remarkable as the people cook and eat rice and red-bean porridge, one of seasonal foods peculiar to Korea.

Still now, they think that they should cook this porridge on the day. The porridge has a few round rice cakes, which are called "small dumplings."

It is one of the Korean people's long customs to look back on the past days of the year, eating the porridge and to promote harmony sharing it with neighbors.

This custom was registered as a national intangible cultural heritage.

This year's winter solstice day is December 22.