Confidence Level Note (medium): As of 2026-05-11, the Macau hotel catering industry has not yet officially released the 2026 Winter Solstice reunion dinner package for 22nd December 2026. The prices, package periods, and reservation information listed in this article are benchmarked against the 2025 published menu and the 2025/26 New Year's Eve festive menu PDF. It is expected that most hotels will maintain a similar framework in 2026 with an inflation adjustment of approximately ±10-15%. The actual 2026 menus are expected to be released progressively from late November 2026 to early December 2026. All MOP prices are subject to an additional 10% service charge, with some hotels adding an additional 5% government tax. It is recommended to recheck each hotel individually after 2026-11-20.
1. Festival Background
Winter Solstice (also known as "Winter Festival" or "Minor New Year") is one of the most important festivals among the twenty-four solar terms. In Macau, there is a saying "Winter Solstice is bigger than Chinese New Year," indicating its importance is comparable to the Lunar New Year, making it a core occasion for family reunion dinners. Traditional foods include: tangyuan (glutinous rice balls, symbolising completeness), sticky rice (to ward off cold), galinha (a Macanese specialty, also a variant of Galinha à Portuguesa), roasted meats/goose (Portuguese-influenced Cantonese fusion), and more.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Gregorian Date | 22 December 2026 (Tuesday) |
| Lunar Date | 14th day of the 11th lunar month |
| Solar Term Position | 22nd of the twenty-four solar terms, when the sun reaches 270° celestial longitude |
| Public Holiday Status | ❌ Not a statutory public holiday in Macau (same as Hong Kong; unlike Japan, which has designated "Winter Solstice" as an observation day for 2026) |
| University of Macau Public Holiday Schedule | Lists 22 December as Winter Solstice (academic holiday) |
| Distance from Handover Day | Handover Day 20 December (Sunday) + compensatory leave 21 December (Monday) + Winter Solstice 22 December (Tuesday) = 3 consecutive days |
Macau Market Characteristics:
- Winter Solstice falls on the day after the Handover Day compensatory leave (Tuesday), creating a mixed demand pattern of "end of long weekend + evening on a working day."
- Large table reservations for 6-10 people are most in
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