What does 99 mean in winter?

Winter Jiujiu, also known as "Jiujiu", is a folk solar term in winter in China. The "number nine" began the day after the "winter solstice" in late February and early February of 65438.

"99" refers to the 8th1day after winter solstice. Every nine days is a "nine", which is called the ninth day, the second day, the third day, and until the ninth day, which is called "the cold weather counts nine".

There is no exact information about when the custom of counting nine originated. However, it was popular at least in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. "Liang Chao Shu Jing Chu Chun Qiu" records: "The winter solstice is 998 1 day, which is the end of cold." Count nine cold days, that is, count nine every nine days from the winter solstice to the eighty-first day, and the weather will warm up. In fact, it is "99-99, plowing cattle everywhere"-90 days, which is 9 days.

In the traditional culture of China, nine is the extreme number, which is the largest, largest and longest concept. Nine nines is eighty-one, which is the "maximum" number. People in ancient China believed that after the solstice on September 8 1 day, spring must have arrived. The coldest period of the year is "three or nine days".

The ancients believed that the climate change during the Ninth Five-Year Plan period had an important influence on the growth of crops.

There are many customs of "Winter Jiujiu", and the custom of "Painting Jiujiu" appeared in the Ming Dynasty. The so-called painting is actually a picture that calculates the warm date of spring after the winter solstice. After "painting nine", the custom of "writing nine" appeared in Qing Dynasty.

"Winter 99" folk song

"If 1929 doesn't start work, there will be cold air in 3949, weeping willows by the river in 5969, rain in 79 and panic in 89, and cows will be everywhere."

Due to China's vast territory and abundant natural resources, the climate between the north and the south is quite different. The folk song Winter 99 circulated in the north is different from that in the south: "Don't shoot in 1929, walk on the ice in 1949, watch the willows along the river in 1969, open the river in 1979, and the geese come in 1989, and the cows go everywhere."

Folk songs "Don't Shoot", "Walk on the Ice", "Look at the Willow by the River" and "Wild Goose Coming from the River" are all phenology, that is, from the cold and warm feeling of people, the freezing of rivers, the spring of willows and the northward flight of wild geese to determine the alternate changes of seasons. In the absence of weather forecast, people can grasp the agricultural season and do a good job in agricultural production accordingly.

The vivid scenery description of the song "Winter 99" vividly depicts the climate change and folk customs during the "99" period.

The song "Winter 99" was summed up by generation after generation on the basis of production and life practice. It is scientific and still plays a guiding role in people's production and living arrangements, so it has been popular and widely circulated.