Dongzhì Festival

The Dongzhì Festival is one of many different versions of Winter Solstice celebrations that occur around the world. In China, the Dongzhì Festival is celebrated with a warm feast. To really get a feel for the Dongzhì Festival, you have to imagine hard, rural living during a Han Dynasty winter more than 2,000 years ago. Now picture a family meal at a table set with hearty, warming foods, raising the hopes for spring’s arrival. That’s the spirit of the Dongzhì Festival. The Dongzhì Festival marries the winter solstice with nature’s harmonious balance of yin and yang energy. From this point forward, dongzhì (i.e. the extreme of winter) and the negative yin qualities of darkness and cold give way to the positive yang qualities of light and warmth. In other words, take heart — spring will come. For the animals in our care, they’ll be able to celebrate alongside the Dongzhì Festival with their own version of a hearty feast, raising their hopes for a new home.

Share this holiday with the pets in our care by sending them a Holiday Wishlist bundle full of treats and toys.