饺子的起源
饺子起源于东汉时期，原名“娇耳”，为东汉河南南阳人“医圣”张仲景首创。
Dumplings originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty, formerly known as "Jiao Er", was the first creation of Zhang Zhongjing, the "medical sanctuary" of Nanyang, Henan, in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
相传，他正好在冬至那天看到人们因寒冷和饥饿，导致两只耳朵冻伤。于是他用面皮儿包上一些祛寒的药材来治病，避免病人耳朵上生冻疮。距今已有一千八百多年的历史了。
According to legend, he happened to see people suffering from cold and hunger on the winter solstice, causing frostbite on both ears.So he used a facial mask to pack some cold medicine to cure the disease, to avoid frostbite on the patient"s ear. It has a history of more than 1,800 years.
饺子的文化
二十四节气（24 solar terms），是指干支历（太阳历）中表示季节变迁的24个特定节令，是根据地球在黄道（即地球绕太阳公转的轨道）上的位置变化而制定的，每一个节气分别相应于地球在黄道上每运动15°所到达的一定位置。二十四节气是通过观察太阳周年运动，认知一年中时令、气候、物候等方面变化规律所形成的知识体系。它把太阳周年运动轨迹划分为24等份，每一等份为一个节气，始于立春，终于大寒，周而复始。
饺子是一种历史悠久的民间吃食，吃饺子也是中国人在春节时特有的民俗传统。因为取“更岁交子”之意，所以深受老百姓的欢迎。民间有“好吃不过饺子”的俗语。每逢新春佳节，饺子更成为一种必不可少的佳肴。
Dumplings are a kind of folk food with a long history. Eating dumplings is also a folk tradition unique to the Chinese during the Spring Festival. Because of the meaning of "more old friends", it is very popular among the people. Folks have the saying "good to eat but dumplings." At the Spring Festival, dumplings have become an indispensable dish.
年夜饭有吃饺子的传统，但各地吃饺子的习俗亦不相同。有的地方除夕夜吃饺子，有的地方初一吃饺子。吃饺子是表达人们辞旧迎新之际祈求愿望的特有方式。
New Year’s Eve has a tradition of eating dumplings, but the custom of eating dumplings varies from place to place. Some places eat dumplings on New Year"s Eve, and some places eat dumplings for the first time.
在除夕的交子时分，人吃了饺子会通身添力，然后，男女老幼齐鸣鞭炮，帮助天神除掉厉鬼，再虔诚地贴上新的灶王爷画像，并在财神爷和灶王爷的画像前供奉上以饺子为主的美食，取意来年平安吉祥财源滚滚之意。这就是“爆竹声声除旧岁（祟）”这一习俗的由来。
