{"id":1538,"date":"2020-12-20T11:24:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-20T11:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/?p=1538"},"modified":"2021-11-17T03:58:43","modified_gmt":"2021-11-17T03:58:43","slug":"winter-solstice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/","title":{"rendered":"Upcoming Holiday: Winter Solstice \ud83c\udf18"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#Why_Celebrate_the_Winter_Solstice\" >Why Celebrate the Winter Solstice?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#Winter_Solstice_Customs\" >Winter Solstice Customs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#For_More_Inspiration\" >For More Inspiration<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#%F0%9F%91%8B_Thats_it_for_now\" >\ud83d\udc4b That\u2019s it for now!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>Fewer things sound more depressing than the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. But did you know that it\u2019s actually a holiday (albeit a short one) for our students in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On that note, we\u2019ll:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Explain why this holiday is even a holiday.<\/li><li>Share relevant questions you can ask to spark conversation with students whether or not they observe it.<\/li><li>Introduce vocabulary (bolded) you can teach your students to help them better express themselves when talking about this topic.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1 Tip: \u201cSolstice\u201d (pronounced <em>sol-stiss<\/em>) is a difficult word for learners to pronounce, not to mention remember. So when we introduce it, we can hint that \u201csolstice\u201d starts with the prefix \u201csol-,\u201d which means \u201csun.\u201d (Just think about the word \u201csolar\u201d!) Then, you can connect this to the fact that the solstice is the day with the least sunlight.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Celebrate_the_Winter_Solstice\"><\/span>Why Celebrate the Winter Solstice?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>winter solstice<\/strong> is the day with the longest night and the shortest day, and it usually falls on December 21 or 22 in the northern hemisphere.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>How do you plan to spend the winter solstice?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The winter solstice is actually celebrated in many <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Winter_solstice#History_and_cultural_significance\">cultures around the world<\/a>, including in the East Asian countries that our students call home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Why do you think the darkest day of the year is a holiday in your culture?<\/li><li>Is the summer solstice also a holiday? What about the spring and autumn <strong>equinoxes<\/strong>?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>However, since it\u2019s still the <strong>dead of winter<\/strong>, people make sure to <strong>brace themselves for<\/strong> the cold, and many of the practices we\u2019re about to mention have become winter solstice <strong>customs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>For students in cultures that do not observe this holiday<\/em>: I hear the winter solstice is a holiday in certain cultures. What do you think about this? What similar holidays exist in your culture?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Winter_Solstice_Customs\"><\/span>Winter Solstice Customs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>People in East Asia have many traditional ways to spend this darkest day of the year in preparation for the rest of winter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>What do people do on the day of the winter solstice? Where do you think these customs come from?<\/li><li>What traditional foods do people in your country eat for winter solstice?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In Japan, some people take baths with \u201cyuzu\u201d, a <strong>citrus fruit<\/strong> similar to a pomelo or grapefruit. This custom is apparently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nippon.com\/en\/views\/b06004\/\">four centuries old<\/a>! We can\u2019t show you pictures of people bathing, but here\u2019s something way better: capybaras in Japan happily carrying out this tradition!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video-responsive\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u307f\u3093\u306a\u3067\u5165\u6d74\u3000\u30ab\u30d4\u30d0\u30e9\u6e29\u6cc9\uff5e\u6876\u98a8\u5442\uff5e\u59cb\u3081\u307e\u3057\u305f\uff01\u30002017.12.5\uff08\u57fc\u7389\u770c\u3053\u3069\u3082\u52d5\u7269\u81ea\u7136\u516c\u5712\u3000\u516c\u5f0f\/SaitamaChildrensZoo\u3000official \uff09capybara onsen\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vKL7vyiQuns?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Why do you think people bathe with yuzu? Do people bathe with other foods or flowers too?<\/li><li>Does the hot water cook the yuzu? Can you still eat the yuzu after bathing with it?<\/li><li>What else do you use yuzu for?<\/li><li>I saw a video of capybaras in Japan soaking in a hot bath! Have you seen this in person before? Do other animals also do this? Do you think pets might also be interested in taking a hot bath?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s time for one of our students\u2019 favorite topics of conversation: food! While we all know it\u2019s important to keep our <strong>immune systems<\/strong> strong, this concept is an integral part of traditional health beliefs in East Asia. In fact, there are foods that are considered to <strong>boost<\/strong> immunity and keep people from getting sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Japan, one of these foods is the Japanese pumpkin. These pumpkins are thought to be <strong>nutritious<\/strong> and a good way to prevent colds. (As a Serbian member of our team says, \u201cPumpkin is the non-tropical country\u2019s banana.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/pI1FKAOeEK9stniTqiAKJ-5fYdRtupONNeRUGjg_-oVZ2yb0cQqr_K-MwAG1AIBtijnqEsxHDQ_H5WH9ugckzF2qwO_dt1qXG3jCxPp1bCHl0SvpRlfgjq8q4E_f_BZr4NB3x7wq\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>Japanese pumpkin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Are there different types of pumpkins in your country? Are they all <strong>edible<\/strong>?<\/li><li>Do you eat the pumpkins cooked, pickled, stewed, or processed in any other way? Tell me about some popular pumpkin dishes you know!<\/li><li>I read that pumpkins are believed to prevent colds. Do you know how this works? And are there any other foods that help prevent colds?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In Taiwan, it\u2019s common for people to eat \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tangyuan_(food)\">soup balls<\/a>,\u201d which are like little mochi balls. Many are filled with something sweet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/0yhg6sjNjtglwxnURrtza2HD2bKnRjMbSvTNlAIjhpjAX253AVSCuI-2I8iw-XPwAK5c2Pw_f9bA1m0LoOg4_HmguDlA0XVMOopkDir3_GLJXTW2O29neuaDUqu-3x_jTmtVvufo\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>Soup balls with black sesame paste inside<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Do you plan to eat soup balls on winter solstice? Why? Why not?<\/li><li>Are soup balls always sweet?<\/li><li>What\u2019s your favorite kind of soup ball? I heard that they can also be deep-fried.<\/li><li>What are soup balls made of? And what\u2019s in the <strong>broth<\/strong>?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Soup balls are traditionally eaten with family on special occasions. Their round shape <strong>symbolizes<\/strong> family <strong>unity<\/strong> and completeness. However, these days, you can get them all-year-long!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>On what other occasions do people eat soup balls? Why do you think they are eaten on special occasions?&nbsp;<\/li><li>Can you eat soup balls when it\u2019s not a special occasion?<\/li><li>Do you make soup balls at home? Do restaurants serve them?<\/li><li>What does the soup ball symbolize?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some soup balls are also colored red, an <strong>auspicious<\/strong> color in East Asia. Speaking of which, in Korea, it\u2019s a tradition to eat <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Patjuk\">red bean porridge<\/a> (which sometimes also has soup balls), because it\u2019s red and considered good for one\u2019s health:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/Su-5fAgkZSXiH3Rt2kDk0OfanfIkZViazpKRqyPB9hqAdyZa8C0q-k6tDcNah00ZYhLq4teri0YEgwQYm4iQKobN54o3F3DwXCPcHVVMIHP6ehbJn447471UxRTsYj5JhMt4mnCj\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>I heard it\u2019s a tradition to eat red bean porridge for the winter solstice. Is it still common to do this?<\/li><li>Tell me about this red bean porridge. Is it sweet or <strong>savory<\/strong>?&nbsp;<\/li><li>How do you make red bean porridge?&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wPVhkgqIya4\">this video<\/a> to learn more about red bean porridge and how winter solstice is traditionally spent in Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"For_More_Inspiration\"><\/span>For More Inspiration<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, if you want even more ideas for your next free-talk lesson, check out these <em>Daily News <\/em>articles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/app\/daily-news\/article\/how-to-protect-your-skin-in-winter\/vS36OBUxEeq2Ukcj0PWPtw\">How to Protect Your Skin in Winter<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/app\/daily-news\/article\/do-you-know-this-blizzard-of-winter-words\/XuPenLysEeaGtXtAlX3ESg\">Do You Know This Blizzard of Winter Words?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/app\/daily-news\/article\/health-benefits-of-cold-weather-workouts\/iqFoYvqiEeeglzPRlWP9IA\">Health Benefits of Cold-Weather Workouts<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%F0%9F%91%8B_Thats_it_for_now\"><\/span>\ud83d\udc4b That\u2019s it for now!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope this post has (literally) given you a taste of what winter solstice is like in our students' countries. Bon appetit and happy tutoring!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fewer things sound more depressing than the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. But did you know that it\u2019s actually a holiday (albeit a short one) for our students in Japan, South Korea,...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":137,"featured_media":1539,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"unified_meta_tagline_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-teaching-conversation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Upcoming Holiday: Winter Solstice \ud83c\udf18 | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Upcoming Holiday: Winter Solstice \ud83c\udf18 | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Fewer things sound more depressing than the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. But did you know that...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-12-20T11:24:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-11-17T03:58:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/14112814\/shutterstock_1265946919.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Frances Chan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Frances Chan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Frances Chan\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b38f1af3553ca82c328f4669ce4f44c7\"},\"headline\":\"Upcoming Holiday: Winter Solstice \ud83c\udf18\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-12-20T11:24:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-11-17T03:58:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/\"},\"wordCount\":992,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/14112814\/shutterstock_1265946919.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Conversation\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/\",\"name\":\"Upcoming Holiday: Winter Solstice \ud83c\udf18 | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/14112814\/shutterstock_1265946919.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-12-20T11:24:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-11-17T03:58:43+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/14112814\/shutterstock_1265946919.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/14112814\/shutterstock_1265946919.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":667},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Engoo\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/teach.engoo.com\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Conversation\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/category\/teaching-conversation\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Upcoming Holiday: Winter Solstice \ud83c\udf18\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog\",\"description\":\"Teach English with Engoo!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Engoo Tutor's Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/02\/25100646\/engoo-logo-tutor2.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/02\/25100646\/engoo-logo-tutor2.svg\",\"width\":1,\"height\":1,\"caption\":\"Engoo Tutor's Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b38f1af3553ca82c328f4669ce4f44c7\",\"name\":\"Frances Chan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cc1ab0a97c800777bb827a1eea9fe20bdeb44023796fc324b3663febe04fba5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cc1ab0a97c800777bb827a1eea9fe20bdeb44023796fc324b3663febe04fba5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Frances Chan\"},\"description\":\"Frances is a member of the Materials team who hails from the US. She is an avid language learner and has also taught\/tutored English in France, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Speaking with tutors for this blog is one of her favorite tasks.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/author\/franceschan\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Upcoming Holiday: Winter Solstice \ud83c\udf18 | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Upcoming Holiday: Winter Solstice \ud83c\udf18 | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog","og_description":"Fewer things sound more depressing than the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. But did you know that...","og_url":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/","og_site_name":"Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog","article_published_time":"2020-12-20T11:24:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-11-17T03:58:43+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":667,"url":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/14112814\/shutterstock_1265946919.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Frances Chan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Frances Chan","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/"},"author":{"name":"Frances Chan","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b38f1af3553ca82c328f4669ce4f44c7"},"headline":"Upcoming Holiday: Winter Solstice \ud83c\udf18","datePublished":"2020-12-20T11:24:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-11-17T03:58:43+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/"},"wordCount":992,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/14112814\/shutterstock_1265946919.jpg","articleSection":["Conversation"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/","url":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/","name":"Upcoming Holiday: Winter Solstice \ud83c\udf18 | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/14112814\/shutterstock_1265946919.jpg","datePublished":"2020-12-20T11:24:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-11-17T03:58:43+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/14112814\/shutterstock_1265946919.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/14112814\/shutterstock_1265946919.jpg","width":1000,"height":667},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/teaching-conversation\/winter-solstice\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Engoo","item":"https:\/\/teach.engoo.com"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Conversation","item":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/category\/teaching-conversation\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Upcoming Holiday: Winter Solstice \ud83c\udf18"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/","name":"Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog","description":"Teach English with Engoo!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Engoo Tutor's Blog","url":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/02\/25100646\/engoo-logo-tutor2.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/02\/25100646\/engoo-logo-tutor2.svg","width":1,"height":1,"caption":"Engoo Tutor's Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b38f1af3553ca82c328f4669ce4f44c7","name":"Frances Chan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cc1ab0a97c800777bb827a1eea9fe20bdeb44023796fc324b3663febe04fba5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cc1ab0a97c800777bb827a1eea9fe20bdeb44023796fc324b3663febe04fba5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Frances Chan"},"description":"Frances is a member of the Materials team who hails from the US. She is an avid language learner and has also taught\/tutored English in France, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Speaking with tutors for this blog is one of her favorite tasks.","url":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/author\/franceschan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/137"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1538"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2431,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1538\/revisions\/2431"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}