The origin and custom of light snow

"The Book of Filial Piety" says: "On the 15th day after (beginning of winter), the bucket pointed to the sea, and it was a light snow. The sky and the earth are overcast, the temperature is rainy, and the cold is snowy. At that time, those who talked less were not cold and the snow was not heavy. " Xiaoxue solar term is a climate concept, which represents the climate characteristics during Xiaoxue solar term. Climate factors include precipitation, temperature and light, among which precipitation is an important factor of climate. Light snow is a solar term reflecting the changing trend of temperature and precipitation. Meteorology, rain, snow, hail and other water vapor condensation falling from the sky to the ground are called "precipitation". The name of light snow, because "snow" is the product of cold weather, the climate is not deep and the precipitation is not heavy during this solar term, so "light snow" is used to compare the climate characteristics during this solar term. The arrival of the light snow solar term means that the weather is getting colder and colder and the precipitation is increasing.

As the saying goes, "light snow pickles, heavy snow pickles." The customs of Xiaoxue solar terms include pickling pickles, tasting Ciba, drying dried fish, eating slices of soup and brewing Xiaoxue wine. Vegetables pickled with light snow are mainly pickled mustard in the north. Some places in the south have the custom of eating Ciba before and after the light snow. Eating "planing soup" is a custom of Tujia people, and it is delicious cooked with fresh pork. Xiaoxue wine is brewed with new grain after light snow. The so-called "October rice harvest, so spring wine longevity."

There is a folk custom of "storing wax in winter to keep out the cold". In the light snow season, the temperature drops suddenly and the weather becomes dry, which is a good time to process bacon. Some farmers began to make sausages and bacon, and stored the remaining meat in the traditional way until the Spring Festival. Many places have the custom of eating bacon in winter, especially southern cities, which have a special liking for bacon. Guangzhou people like to make bacon radish cake with bacon, cook taro with bacon and stir-fry honey beans with sausage.