The earliest forms behind 冬 are commonly explained as the ends of a cord tied into knots, marking an ending or completion. The character was later borrowed to write the similar-sounding word for “winter”, the end of the agricultural year, and extra marks were added in later forms to distinguish that seasonal meaning. Specialists differ on some details, so this oracle-inspired drawing shows the knotted ends without claiming that it began as a picture of cold weather.
A piece of culture
Winter’s turning point 冬至 is the winter solstice: dōngzhì in Mandarin and dung1 zi3 in Cantonese. Families in different regions mark it with different foods — dumplings are especially associated with northern China, while tāngyuán, round glutinous-rice balls, are common in parts of southern China. The shared idea is the year turning toward longer days and families gathering around warm food.