Food for Sharing Dec 2026: Warm Wishes for Elders

December 2026 Theme: Warm Wishes for Elders (Pumpkin Porridge with Red Beans and Winter Radish Kimchi)

This final session of the year is inspired by Dongji, one of Korea's traditional seasonal celebrations, which falls on Tuesday, December 22, 2026. In the East Asian lunisolar calendar, one year is divided into twenty-four solar terms. Dongji, the Winter Solstice, is the twenty-second of these. It marks the longest night and shortest day of the year.

As the days grew longer after Dongji, the occasion was sometimes considered a "small New Year," a moment to prepare for the year ahead.

Red Beans and Winter Wishes

Many Dongji customs involve red beans. Traditionally, their red color was believed to ward off bad luck and ill-intentioned spirits.

I remember making small rice balls with my family and adding them to red bean porridge. I was told not to eat too many of them because the…