Dumplings, Solstice, and Xmas in China

Since moving to China, I’ve never returned to my country to celebrate Christmas. The academic calendar simply doesn’t allow it—semesters stretch right through December, and by the time Christmas arrives, I’m still in the classroom. At first, I thought this meant I’d have to spend the season quietly, without the familiar traditions of family gatherings, festive meals, and the comfort of home.

But then I discovered something beautiful: very close to Christmas, Chinese people celebrate the Winter Solstice (冬至, Dōngzhì). And how do they mark this turning point of the year? By gathering together to make and eat dumplings.

It’s not Christmas, of course. Nothing can truly replace the feeling of being surrounded by family. Yet, over the years here in Zhengzhou, I’ve found that these dumpling-making celebrations are far better than being alone at this time of year. They’ve become my own way (among other strategies) of finding warmth and connection in the middle of winter.

Dumplings as Bridges

I’ll confess something: once I realized students would be organizing these dumpling activities, I started paying close attention. I’d ask them where and when they were holding the gatherings, and I’d make sure to join whenever possible. It became a tradition for me too—my way of stepping into their world, sharing laughter, and learning more about their culture.

I have done this before (2023, 2024),but this year was especially memorable. I managed to participate in three different dumpling-making events:

On Wednesday (December 17),I stumbled into one completely by accident (to be honest it was not an accident, I was looking for such an activity). I was heading to the canteen for dinner, and suddenly found myself surrounded by students rolling dough and filling dumplings. Naturally, I joined in. 

On Thursday (December 18),my supervisor Amanda kindly invited me to another gathering. That one was on lunch time and I had classes before and after, so I did NOT stay as much as I wanted, (there wasn´t so many people on this one).

YouTube: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

On Friday (December 19),I was invited again to yet another dumpling party. By then, I was already in full festive spirit—three times in a row of dumplings, laughter, and friendship. This one was the biggest one, it was on the canteen on western campus, second floor, it seems that it was a multiclass event, so many students there. I did stay there for almost 3 hours. I eat more than I should and make a lot of friends and lots of pictures

But I could not catch all the Dumplings celebrations: I know I missed one. Cindy, the head of the foreign teachers department, shared a post about a Dumpling activity I hadn’t attended. Maybe I overlooked the invitation, maybe I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Either way, I felt genuinely sad, I saw the pictures on the post and see other foreign there (How could I miss this one ??). Missing out on dumplings might sound trivial, but when you’re far from home, going to eat at the canteem mostly because you want to make new friends, loosing one opportunity like that becomes a great deal, every chance to connect matters.

More Than Just Food

People often say that participating in one event is enough. But for me, as a teacher who often eats at the canteen just to be around students, these activities are heaven. They’re not just about dumplings—they’re about friendship, laughter, and the joy of meeting students I hadn’t known before.

Each dumpling folded is a small act of community. Each bite carries the warmth of shared effort. And each gathering reminds me that even though I’m far from my family, I’m not alone.

A Teacher’s Reflection

The Winter Solstice in China has become my substitute for Christmas. It’s not about gifts or decorations—it’s about people coming together, sharing food, and celebrating the simple fact that we’ve made it through the darkest days of the year.

And while I’ll always miss my family during this season, I’ve come to treasure these dumpling nights with my students. They’ve taught me that joy can be found in unexpected places, and that sometimes, the best traditions are the ones we adopt along the way.

Even if I missed one gathering this year, I know there will be more. And next time, I’ll make sure not to let a single dumpling slip away.

# E05 Yan zhi ting 1116# I did write a review of this post from my teacher. Here is my review:
This is an article about my foreign teacher who was invited to three dumpling-making activities during the Winter Solstice. I am extremely happy because the third activity—making dumplings on the second floor of the West Campus Canteen—was organized by me, and I personally invited my teacher via WeChat!!
I am truly delighted to see that my teacher wrote in the article about making many friends and taking lots of wonderful photos. Mr. Marcelo Gamero, my foreign teacher from Brazil, traveled such a long way to teach in Zhengzhou. He must have overcome countless difficulties to be here with us. Therefore, we also want to let him experience the unique romance and warmth of China.
Last year, I also took the initiative to invite you to make dumplings with us.I wanted to provide more students with the chance to communicate with foreigners and broaden their horizons.Besides, I think you are such a kind and friendly teacher who really enjoys interacting with students.
I fully agree with the view you mentioned in your blog post: dumplings act as a bridge.
If English is only taught in the classroom, it will become boring and make students lose the desire to learn.However, when we integrate English vocabulary and grammar into real life — such as our daily conversations in the canteen and the weekly English Corner — knowledge can quietly slip into students’ minds naturally.
I think it’s quite unfair that our school calendar doesn’t include a Christmas break for foreign teachers.In Western countries, Christmas is just as important as the Spring Festival in China — it’s a precious time for family reunions and joy.So I truly believe our school should be more inclusive of cultural differences.It would be really nice if we could give foreign teachers a proper holiday or adjust their classes during Christmas, haha!
These are all my comments on your post. Thank you for reading!I really enjoy your blog. I think your writing is very interesting, lively and full of wisdom.

# E03 Chenyuan 4216 # I write a review of this post from my teacher:  "Dumplings 2025 & Xmas"
After reading this warm article written by you, I’m deeply touched by the sincere feelings and beautiful experience you shared about celebrating the Winter Solstice in China. It’s really heartwarming to see how you, far away from home, found a new kind of warmth and belonging in the dumpling-making activities at school during the Christmas season.

What impresses me most is your love for and active participation in these traditional Chinese activities. From accidentally joining the first dumpling party to being invited to the grand one on the western campus, every detail shows your eagerness to get close to us students and understand Chinese culture. I can totally feel the joy and happiness you had when making dumplings, laughing and making friends with us. It’s also touching that you even felt sad for missing one dumpling activity, because it lets us know how much you value every chance to connect with us and every warm moment we spend together.

You said dumplings are bridges, and I totally agree. These small dumplings not only carry the traditional culture of the Winter Solstice in China, but also build a warm bridge between you and us students. When we gather around the table to knead dough, roll wrappers and fill fillings together, there’s no distance between different cultures, only the simple happiness of sharing and company. For you, the Winter Solstice dumpling parties have become a special substitute for Christmas, and for us, your participation makes these traditional festivals more meaningful and lively.

Your words also let me realize that the true meaning of festivals is never about fixed forms or decorations, but about the people we gather with and the warmth we share. It’s really lucky for us to have a teacher like you who is willing to walk into our life, experience our traditional culture and treat every small gathering with sincerity. We are also very happy that we can be part of your warm memories in China.

Thank you for sharing this precious experience with us. We all look forward to making more dumplings and creating more warm and happy moments with you in the coming Winter Solstice festivals!