Start of winter has China preparing for Lunar New Year

Northern China, it's traditional for people to have dumplings filled with meat and vegetables to celebrate.

Are you feeling the cold? Monday marks the Winter Solstice Festival, for the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

The sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn, resulting in the fewest hours of sunlight. In Northern China, it's traditional for people to have dumplings filled with meat and vegetables to celebrate. In the south, the dumplings are more likely to be sweet.

The solstice marks the official start of winter. Chinese will start preparing for the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. 2015 will welcome the Year of the Sheep on February 19th.