Folklore of Daxue Festival

When it comes to the snowy season, many people have a misunderstanding that the snowy season should be covered with snow. In fact, every year, before and after the snow festival, our country from south to north of the real snowfall place is not particularly much, the amount of snow is not particularly large. After all, in terms of precipitation, the so-called "mountain high moon small, water fall out", China since the Jiangnan north of the entire winter precipitation is on the low side.

So why not call the festival of snow snow? In fact, this Da Xue, as well as the previous solar term Xiao Xue, talks about the probability of snow, or the probability of snow accumulation. Just as the twenty-four solar terms, Big Cold and Little Cold, do not mean that the sky will definitely be cold, but describe the degree of ice on the ground, Big Snow means that the probability of snow is increasing. Some scholars also believe that there is some truth to the idea that light snow is the season when the first snow arrives and heavy snow is the season when snow appears. When the snow is small, the snow is down with the melting, and to the snow after the snow, the ground has snow.

Ancient people divided each of the twenty-four solar terms into three seasons, which were used to more accurately describe the climatic characteristics of the season. The three seasons of the snowy season are: "In the first season, a kind of nightingale does not sound. The second wait is the beginning of the tiger. The third wait, Li quite out."

The first wait is a kind of nightingale (dàn).

鶡, according to two Jin Guo Pu "dialect" cloud: "like chicken, winter hairless, day and night song, that is, cold bugle." Ancient people believe that this bird belongs to the yang and is very combative, so it is used as a metaphor for fighters. But the snowy season is the most yin season, so around the time of the snowy season, the nightingale is no longer chirping.

The second wait, the tiger begins to cross.

Daxue is the most yin festival, the so-called "the opposite of the road of movement also", the most yin also contains the seeds of Yang, which is the ancient concept of yin and Yang conversion. As the king of beasts, the tiger, sensing some of the budding Yang Qi between heaven and earth, began to have a cross behavior.

The third wait, Lai quite out.

Lai is a plant, which is what we now call Malanja. This plant has a very well-developed root system and can be used to make brushes. Before and after the snowy season, this plant "feels the Yang Qi sprouting and draws new buds", which also reflects the ancient concept of yin and yang transition, the peak and the decline.

Two, meat and wine, snow. Diet

Proverbial cloud: "small snow closed the mountain, snow closed the river." In ancient times, to the snow around, the climate is actually not very suitable for people to travel. That's why Song people have a word: "Xuanfeng Jiangxue. Scattered as autumn forest val. Last night the west wind blew through, the best is, sleeping time." Nature speaks of an autumn harvest and winter storage, human behavior should also comply with the law of the four seasons, this season to rest.

But then, our Chinese people are hardworking since ancient times. Even if you can't go to the field, you have to find something to do at home.

The saying "small snow pickles, snow pickled meat". In the old days, every snowy season, in some parts of Nanjing, families began to busy preparing cured meat, known as "salted goods". This cured food, on the one hand, is to prepare for the New Year, in addition to the fact that there is also easy to save the consideration, after all, in ancient times there is no refrigerator freezer.

The specific practice of curing meat varies from place to place, of course, like the Nanjing area generally use large salt with anise, cinnamon, pepper, sugar, etc. into the pot to fry, to be fried pepper salt cooled, coated in fish, meat and light poultry inside and outside, repeated rubbing until the meat color from fresh to dark, the surface of the liquid oozing, and then the meat with the rest of the salt in the tank, with a stone pressure, placed in a cool backlit place, half a month later! After half a month, take out the marinade into a pot with water to boil, skim off the floating foam, put in the dried poultry and livestock meat, layer by layer in the tank, pour in the salt brine, and then press on the big stone, take out after ten days, and hang it under the eaves of the sunrise to dry out (Qiu Bingjun: "The Twenty-four Seasons of the Chinese People"). A few years ago, there were old people in the family who missed the old flavor of this ancient method of pickling, but unfortunately it is no longer available.

In the cold winter, how can you have meat without wine? The ancient people had "winter brew", referring to the yellow wine brewed from the beginning of winter, until the next spring this time. The season of heavy snow is naturally included in this range. It is said that the reason for choosing winter to make wine is that the water in winter is clean and fresh, and the temperature is not too high, which can easily inhibit the propagation of stray bacteria, and allow the wine to slowly brew its mellow flavor in the low-temperature fermentation process. Of course, the ancient ancestors may not know these scientific reasons, but the experience of life has given them infinite wisdom.

Winter Brewing

Three: Ice and Snow, a Different Landscape

Nowadays, winter is not as difficult as it was in ancient times. We all work, go to school as usual, weekend holidays come across snow, can also be happy to call friends to enjoy a snow scene. But in the old days, this kind of spiritual pursuit, more or less the rich class exclusive. The Song's "Tokyo Dreaming Records" recorded: "This month, although there is no festival order, but the rich and noble families, in case of snow that is to open a feast, molded snow lions, installed snow lamps, in order to meet relatives and old friends." Southern Song Dynasty "Old Wulin" also has a record: "forbidden to enjoy the snow, more than the Royal Mingyuan building. After the Court into the size of the snow lion, and to the gold bell color wisps for decoration, and make snowflakes, snow lamps, snow mountain and so on, and drip crisp for flowers and events, and to gold pots into, for enjoyment." Fair lady, wearing winter clothes, holding a warm stove, since the scenery is beautiful people more beautiful.

Gilt hollow copper incense burner, ancient hand-warming artifacts