December 22 is Dongzhi (or Winter Solstice), one of the 24 solar terms of the year in the Chinese lunar calendar. In folklore, a Dongzhi Festival tradition Chinese called "Shu Jiu," or "counting nine nines," is popular. With the day of Dongzhi as the beginning, the whole winter is divided into nine nine-day periods. After nine nines, the spring will come. There is also a popular folk song among Chinese people, called "The Song of Nine Nine-days" (九九歌). It introduces some of the natural phenomena

Counting down the days of winter was an important pastime in ancient China, particularly in northern regions, where the season can feel exceptionally long. As such, a folk method emerged known as shujiu, or “counting the nine,” which separates winter into nine intervals of nine days. But why nine? In the decimal system, nine is the largest single digit before a “reset,” and ancient Chinese regarded it as an important number symbolizing completion. Therefore, the “nine nines” concept reflected th