The origin of the great cold

The severe cold solar term is one of the 24 solar terms. Every year around 65438+10.20, when it reaches 300 degrees of the yellow meridian, it is a severe cold solar term. Twenty-four solar terms: "In mid-December, I met before (slight cold)." Time-sharing, time-sharing, time-sharing and time-sharing have three meanings: "Great cold is the middle and shaped by slight cold, so it is called great ... extremely cold, so it is called great cold."

At this time, the cold wave frequently goes south, which is the coldest period of the year in most parts of China. The wind is strong and the temperature is low, and the snow on the ground does not melt, showing a cold scene of ice and snow. In severe cold weather, the atmospheric circulation is relatively stable, and the circulation adjustment period is about 20 days. During this period, railway, post and telecommunications, petroleum, shipping and other departments should pay special attention to take measures to prevent severe weather such as strong winds and blizzards as soon as possible.

The Great Cold is divided into three phases, marking the arrival of the Great Cold solar terms.

In ancient China, the Great Cold was divided into three stages: "One stage is chicken milk; Second, the symptoms of bird disease; Three times, the water is strong. " In other words, chickens can be hatched in the cold solar terms. Falcons such as eagles are in a state of strong predation ability, hovering in the air to find food to supplement their body energy to resist the cold; In the last five days of the year, the ice in the water area has frozen to the center of the water, and it is the strongest and thickest, so children can enjoy skating on the river (the average daily temperature can only be below -5℃ for several consecutive days, and this activity usually appears in the north of the Yellow River). In addition, the Hua Xinfeng symptoms of severe cold are "Daphne, Orchid and Alum (born in Jiangnan)". It can also be used as an important sign to judge the severe cold.

Cold eating habits

The severe cold season is the mature season of sorghum in Taiwan Province Province. Especially for farmers who specialize in planting sorghum in Jinmen area, most of the harvested sorghum will be used to make sorghum wine, and the quality of kinmen kaoliang liquor is well-known.

Black-skinned swordfish and white-skinned swordfish can be caught along the coast of Suao in the northeast of Taiwan Province Province. Liu Ding and strawberry are common fruits in cold season in Taiwan Province Province.

In the vast areas of southern China, there is a custom of eating glutinous rice in severe cold. Although this custom sounds simple, it is full of life experience accumulated by people in the past, because it is very cold in severe cold weather, and glutinous rice is a kind of food with extremely high calorie and has excellent cold-proof function.

Tianjin people will steam preserved rice at the coldest time of the twelfth lunar month. The so-called steamed wax rice means that in the cold season, every household takes out some good rice, washes it, steams it, then spreads it on reed mats, cools it, dries it thoroughly, and stores it in clean porcelain jars, even if it is preserved for decades. Eating this rice in summer can avoid dysentery; The elderly or the infirm cook with steamed glutinous rice. Good for the spleen and stomach.

In Beijing, there is a traditional custom that the whole family can share a cold-dispelling cake, which is a kind of rice cake. After eating, it has the effects of warming the middle warmer, dispelling cold, moistening the lungs and strengthening the spleen and stomach. Moreover, eating cold-dispelling cakes on this cold day also has the meaning of good luck, peace all year round and promotion step by step.

Customs and activities related to the severe cold solar terms

Weide abundant gourmet

The great cold solar term is the last of the 24 solar terms, and there is a folk saying that "it is another year after the great cold". Big cold tail luxury food is a traditional folk festival in southern Fujian, which generally refers to the "end" of one-year activities of merchants, and the "tail tooth" of enterprises refers to the "annual meeting", which is also the "first sound" of Spring Festival activities of ordinary people.

Sacrifice to heaven and ancestors

Because the great cold solar term is approaching the end of the year, genealogy, ancestor statues and memorial tablets in some places. It will be provided in the upper hall of the home, with tables, incense burners and offerings. There are also places where gods and land gods are sacrificed and worshipped to pray for good weather, family harmony and prosperity in the coming year.

The solar terms in the great cold often coincide with the end of the year, so there is a strong flavor of the year everywhere during the great cold. At this time, farmers should not only do farm work according to the solar terms, but also continue to prepare for the Spring Festival. In the cold streets of the old society, people often rushed to buy the shadow of sesame stems, which means that "sesame blossoms are getting higher and higher." It means that the new year has begun to be full of vitality, waiting for the passage of time.