December 22 is the winter solstice, one of the 24 divisions of the year in the lunatic calendar.
It is one of the folk customs of the Korean people to eat adzuki-bean gruel on this day.
Ancestors had looked back on the year eating the gruel and shared it with their neighbors for amity.
Availing himself of many occasions, Chairman Kim Jong Il told officials the folk customs of the winter solstice and how to make adzuki-bean gruel and let them actively restore the national customs including the gruel making.
The manner of making adzuki-bean gruel filled with national flavor was registered as one of the national intangible cultural heritages.
