节气小贴士 |迎冬小雪后寒未深而雪未大也

Stories of Solar Terms | Lesser Snow: Bringing a Year of Harvest

小雪

“小雪雪满天，来年必丰年”

如果小雪时节有降雪，

那么来年必然是个丰收的年景。

也是民间对小雪节气的美好期许！

An old saying goes that“a heavy snow on the day of Lesser Snow indicates a good harvest in the next year”. This reflects people’s aspiration for the Lesser Snow, one of the 24 Solar Terms. 

二十四节气，是中国人通过观察太阳周年运动而形成的时间知识体系。在国际气象界，它被誉为"中国的第五大发明"。冬季的第二个节气小雪已过，今日和大家一起讲讲关于小雪的知识。

小雪，二十四节气之第二十个节气。进入该节气，气温下降，西北风将成为中国广大地区的常客。

小雪表示降雪的起始时间和程度，和雨水、谷雨等节气一样，都是直接反映降水的节气。

古籍《群芳谱》中说：“小雪气寒而将雪矣，地寒未甚而雪未大也。”意思是说，到小雪节由于天气寒冷，降水形式由雨变为雪，但此时“地寒未甚”，雪量还不大，所以称为小雪。

The 24 Solar Terms embody the traditional timing knowledge that Chinese people formed through observing the motions of the sun in a year, which are known as the“Fifth Great Invention of China” in the international meteorological circle. Today, let’s talk about the Lesser Snow, the second Solar Term in winter. 

The Lesser Snow is the 20th of the 24 Solar Terms. It indicates that with the continuous drop of the temperature, chilly northwest wind begins to dominate most of the China’s territory. 

The Lesser Snow also implies the start of light snow. Just like the Rain Water and the Grain Rain, it is a Solar Term directly related to precipitation 

According to Qun Fang Pu, an ancient book on plants,“with the arrival of the Lesser Day, the temperature drops, and it begins to snow. However, considering the temperature hasn’t reached the lowest point of the year, snow may not be heavy.” Hence, the Solar Term is named the Lesser Snow. 

小雪（插画）吴冠英

The Lesser Snow (illustration) by Wu Guanying

气候特点

The climate characteristics of Minor Snow

“小雪”的到来，意味着冬季降雪即将拉开大幕。但节气中的“小雪”与天气的小雪无必然联系，小雪节气是一个气候概念，它代表的是“小雪”节气期间的气候特征，而天气预报中的“小雪”则是指降雪强度较小的雪。

小雪节气，我国东部会出现大范围大风降温天气。由于全球气候变暖，我国南方部分地区降雪会稍晚，而北方，已进入寒冰封冻季节。 

中国古人根据对大自然的观察，将“小雪”分为三候：“一候虹藏不见；二候天气上升地气下降；三候闭塞而成冬。”意思是说此时彩虹不会出现了，万物失去生机，天地闭塞而转入严寒的季节。

The arrival of the Lesser Snow indicates that the snowing season is arriving. However, this doesn’t mean that it will snow on the day of the Lesser Snow. It is a phenological concept that reflects the climatic features of the period, different from the“light snow” in weather forecast. 

With the arrival of the Lesser Snow, eastern China will welcome large-scale windy weathers and temperature decline. Due to global warming, snow comes late in some parts of southern China, but northern China already enters chilly winter at the time. 

Based on their observation of natural phenomena, Chinese ancestors summarized three phenological features of the Lesser Snow:“First, rainbows won’t appear any more in the rest of the year; second, living creatures become dormant; third, it becomes cold, causing a lifeless state across the land.”

节气习俗

The coustom of the Minor Snow

小雪（中国画）戴树良

The Lesser Snow (traditional Chinese painting) by Dai Shuliang

千百年来，小雪节气已经浸润到了人们的日常生活中。中国幅员辽阔、地大物博，中国人爱吃，会吃，每逢小雪飘洒时，各地的人们会用各种独特的习俗来迎接“寒”的到来。

Over centuries, the Lesser Snow has been deeply integrated into daily life. China boasts vast land and abundant resources, and Chinese people have developed a profound cuisine culture according to the changes of weathers. When it begins to snow, people around the country will welcome“coldness” in their unique ways. 

“冬腊风腌，蓄以御冬”

Preserved Meat for Winter 

民间有：“冬腊风腌，蓄以御冬”的习俗。小雪时节气温急剧下降，天气变得干燥，是加工腊肉的好时候。一些农家开始动手做香肠、腊肉，把多余的肉类用传统方法储备起来，等到春节时正好享受美食。很多地方都有冬季吃腊肉的习俗，尤其是南方城市，更是对腊味情有独钟。

在北方山东等地区到了这个时候，人们往往会购买大量的白菜萝卜大葱，运往家中，搁在地窖里面，或储存在家中，做个腌白菜等。

Chinese people have the tradition of making preserved meat for the coming winter. With the arrival of the Lesser Snow, the temperature drops drastically, and it becomes dry and cold, making it an ideal time to make preserved meat. Some rural households begin to make sausages and preserved meat. This is a traditional way to preserve excessive meat that they could enjoy for the Spring Festival. The tradition of eating preserved meat is popular in many places, especially among residents in southern China.

During the period, people in the northern regions such as Shandong Province usually buy large amounts of Chinese cabbage, radish and scallion and store them in their cellars or houses to make pickles. 

吃糍粑

Eating Ciba

在南方还有农历十月吃糍粑的习俗。糍粑是用糯米蒸熟捣烂后所制成的一种食品，是中国南方一些地区流行的美食。古时，糍粑是南方地区传统的节日祭品，最早是农民用来祭牛神的供品。有俗语“十月朝，糍粑禄禄烧”，说的便是祭祀事件。

There is a tradition of eating Ciba, a food made of grinded glutinous rice, in the 10th lunar month in southern China. Ciba is a snack popular in southern China. In ancient times, it was used by farmers as an sacrificial offering to the God of Ox at traditional festivals in southern regions. An old saying goes,“Ciba is offered in the morning in the 10th lunar month.” This depicts how it was used as a sacrificial offering. 

晒鱼干

Drying Fish

小雪时，南方海边的渔民们会开始晒鱼干、储存干粮。乌鱼群会在小雪前后来到海峡，另外还有旗鱼、沙鱼等。

With the arrival of the Lesser Snow, fishermen in southern China begin to dry fish as food. Snakeheads, sailfish, and sandfish will arrive in the straits around the Lesser Snow. 

吃刨汤

Eating Paotang

小雪前后，土家族群众又开始了一年一度的“杀年猪，迎新年”民俗活动，给寒冷的冬天增添了热烈的气氛。吃“刨汤”，是土家族的风俗习惯；在“杀年猪，迎新年”民俗活动中，用热气尚存的上等新鲜猪肉，精心烹饪而成的美食称为“刨汤”。

Around the Snow Lesser, the Tu people welcome the annual folk custom activity“Slaughtering Pigs for the New Year”, which adds a festive atmosphere to the winter. Eating Paotang, a kind of food made of fresh pork during the activity, is a tradition for the Tu people. 

节气小贴士

Tips for the Lesser Snow

小雪节气中，天气时常是阴冷晦暗，此时人们的心情也会受其影响，特别容易引发抑郁情绪，所以应调节自己的心态，保持乐观，经常参加一些户外活动以增强体质。多晒太阳，多听音乐。清代医学家吴尚说：“七情之病，看花解闷，听曲消愁，有胜于服药者也。”

孙思邈云：“安身之本，必资于食……不知食宜结，不足以生存也。”小雪节气，合理的饮食，可以使人身体强健、益寿延年，而饮食不当则是导致疾病和早衰的重要原因之一。为避免血液黏稠，应多食保护心脑血管的食品，如丹参、山楂、黑木耳、西红柿、芹菜、红心萝卜等。

在运动养生方面，以温和的有氧运动为主。慢跑、爬楼梯、快步走都好，只是衣服不要穿得过多，令身热、脚上有热感，胸中充满暖意即可。养生就是顺四时，此时只有重视外在的气候变化，避寒就温才能祛病于身外。小雪正值五运六气的终之气，建议调节自己的心态，保持乐观，节喜制怒。

The weather is usually cold and cloudy on the Lesser Snow, which may affect people’s mood and cause depression. So, people need to cheer themselves up, stay optimistic, and improve their physical health through outdoors exercises. Bathing in the sun and listening to music are also good for health. Wu Shang, a medical expert in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), once said,“Watching flowers and listening to songs are better than medicine to cure depression.”

Sun Simiao, a famous physician in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), noted that“food is essential to health, and those who know little about diet are hard to maintain health”. Reasonable diet for the Lesser Snow can make one strong and prolong his or her lifespan. Unhealthy diet is a key reason for illness and presenility. To facilitate blood circulation, people need to eat food good for heart and brain vessels, such as rooted salvia, hawthorn, black fungus, tomato, celery, and turnip.

In terms of physical exercises, mild aerobics are suitable, such as jogging, stairs climbing, and brisk walking. One should wear too much during physical excises, and can take a rest when feel the feet and chest become warm. To keep health, one need to follow the needs of the four seasons. Based on climatic changes, people must keep warm to dispel diseases. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, the Lesser Snow conforms to the cold qi (internal energy), so people need to cheer themselves up, stay optimistic, and avoid excessive excitement and anger.