What did the ancients do in the cold?

In the cold, the ancients would do the following things:

During the severe cold, the ancients collected ice cubes. In ancient times, in the cold season, both the royal family and the people were busy collecting and storing ice, because the ice was the hardest and thickest at this time. According to Zhou Li, there was an official in charge of ice administration in ancient times, who was called "Lingren". In the cold season, Ling Ren presided over the collection of ice cubes and put them in the cellar for use in the next summer. "

Walking on the ice in cold season is not only the entertainment of ordinary people, but also the ancient emperors like all kinds of ice activities. In Empresses in the Palace, An Lingrong's "Ice Opera", which regained his sacred favor, was based on real history. This sports activity was recorded as early as the Song Dynasty. In the golden age of the Qing Dynasty, Manchu nobles from cold areas designated it as a "national custom".

In the Western Map of Hehe Soldiers collected by the Palace Museum, the Qing emperor used this ice activity to review the Eight Banners, which reflected the ancient rulers' attention to military equipment.

Yuan Zhen, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, wrote in Poems on the Twenty-four Spirits of a Cold Moon: "When the wine comes, the golden stove is warm." With the charcoal fire for heating, there is a clear enjoyment and play. At this time, the most pleasant thing is to get together in a room with friends and friends.

What to eat and drink with a cold? The word "wax wine" in Yuan Zhen's great cold poem points out the flavor of the year. The cold season has reached the twelfth lunar month, usually the beginning of Laba and the end of the New Year. At this time, laba porridge, bacon, preserved fish, sausages and other delicious foods are naturally indispensable.

The great cold is coldest near the end of the year, but it is also the most lively. Every household should get ready and start cleaning the inside and outside of the house to prepare for the new year. There are many kinds of goods in shops, and people's enthusiasm for going out to buy new year's goods has reached its peak. Writing Spring Festival couplets, stick grilles, running a tail tooth, busy for a whole year, will have a sense of ceremony by the end of the year!

In ancient times, the Great Cold not only celebrated the arrival of the New Year, but also was closely related to "Ruifu". At this time, people worship the kitchen god, pray to the gods, and offer sacrifices to their ancestors, all for the sake of bidding farewell to the old year safely and hoping that everything will go well in the new year.

Dunhuang murals record people who are full of expectations at this time. People come to the temple to worship the pagoda, worship Buddha and Bodhisattva, and pray for shelter in the coming year. According to the literature, the temple incense was very strong at the end of the year, which was an annual Buddhist activity lasting five days and four nights. People set up tent wineries and got together to drink at the end of the year, which was called "Fu Jian" in ancient times.