【Charm of China in solar terms】
The cured wine is full of bottles, and the golden furnace is warm with charcoal.
The end of the year is approaching, and the great cold has arrived.
In the last chapter of the twenty-four solar terms, when the cold wave wraps around the sundial at the end of the year, it also marks the beginning of the reincarnation of things.
The great cold is the extreme cold.
According to the ancient book "The Collection of Seventy-two Hours of the Moon Order", "In the middle of December, the coldness of the first month is still small, so it is cloudy. Halfway through the month, it will be big." "An Explanation of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms" says: It’s the limit of bitterness.” Great cold solar terms, frequent southward cold waves, take away the residual temperature and water vapor in the air; at this time, the cold wind is fresh, the snow does not melt, and the snow in the world is tormenting the wind, leaving only the extreme bitterness.
When you wake up in the morning, what you see is "frozen silver beds in front of the steps, and ice stalactites on the eaves"; looking far away, you can see a piece of "the wind is blowing and the frost is heavy in Beitou, and the clouds are pressing down on Nanshan with high snow"; After drinking, I sighed "How can there be no glass of wine in Dahan, I want to make a lot of regrets."
Sitting quietly around the fire in a cold room, it is a rare tranquility and warmth.
In ancient times, the great cold was divided into three seasons: the first waiting for chicken breasts, that is, entering the great cold season, when the hen feels the spring in the cold, and begins to prepare to lay eggs and brood; the second season, the bird is fierce, which means that the falcons and raptors are extremely murderous and become fast and fierce Li, better at hunting, foraging for food to keep out the cold; Sanhou Shuize's abdomen is firm, which means that the lake is frozen to the extreme, and even the heart of the river has become firm, which also makes the joy of playing on the ice surface.
In the transformation of phenology, there is a cyclical natural philosophy.
As the saying goes, "when the great cold reaches its peak, the days will get warmer in the future".
Under thousands of miles of ice, all beings are accumulating energy in dormancy, only to wait for the extreme cold to warm up and the ice and snow to melt, to bloom the most vigorous vitality in spring.
There is nothing to fear in the world, but it is not easy to be afraid of the ups and downs for a while.
In the impermanence of the world, only when you are in adversity without being wronged, and if you are in good times without being addicted, can you be at ease in the ups and downs of life and cultivate a broad-minded state of mind with the bright moon in your arms.
There is an agricultural proverb that goes, "Grain is as expensive as gold in a night of great cold."
Great cold is the extreme point of temperature change, and the law of cold and warm also affects agricultural production.
In the northern region, the vast fields have been covered with snow and ice, and there is not much farm work.
People take a "winter break" during the slack time. On the one hand, they should adapt to the weather and recuperate. On the other hand, they should also pay attention to the cold and frost protection of livestock and the accumulation of manure and compost in the land, so as to make full preparations for spring farming.
In the south, the land has not yet frozen, and field management of crops still needs to be strengthened.
This is the period of the year with the least rainfall, and timely irrigation is of great benefit to the growth of crops. Therefore, it is particularly important to do a good job of preventing cold and freezing, building water conservancy, and topdressing winter fertilizers.
In addition, the severe cold weather also reflects people's yearning for a good harvest in the coming year.
Common sayings such as "the great cold sees three whites, the peasants have enough food and clothing", "the great cold is like rain, and there is a lot of rain in February and March", "the pigs are wet in the great cold, and the grain buds are rotten in March", which condenses the sweat and wisdom of generations of working people. The crystallization of; the expectation of good weather reflects the pursuit of the realm of harmony between man and nature by the farming civilization that has lasted for thousands of years.
As the so-called "great cold welcomes the new year"-the great cold guards the end of the year, and the new year is around the beginning of spring, and the two often coincide with each other.
At this time, the air is more and more filled with a strong "new year flavor" of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, and the colorful folk customs also add to the joyful atmosphere.
People have "bathed", "dusted", "pasted windows" and "take advantage of the ruins". In the busy process of cleaning up old things, cleaning, decorating their homes, and buying new year's goods, they swept away their worries and sorrows and ushered in a new life.
On the day of the great cold, there are also rich food customs.
Many places have the habit of "eating glutinous rice". By eating foods made from glutinous rice such as eight-treasure rice, it can achieve the good effects of nourishing qi and invigorating the spleen, dispelling cold and keeping warm.
Beijing folks eat rice cakes during the severe cold, also known as "cold relief cakes", which wins the good fortune of rising every step of the way with the homonym of "nianniangao".
In the south, people have the custom of "tail tooth sacrifice". It was originally to thank the land god for protecting the crop harvest and business, and now it has evolved into a gathering meal for relatives and friends at the end of the year and rewarding employees.
The year-end festival, feasting and feasting, a year's hard work draws an end in the contrast between the cold temperature and the prosperous folk customs; where the lights of thousands of families are placed, how many hearts longing for rest and reunion are placed.
Minor cold, severe cold, cold without wind.
Three to ninety-nine days is the time to "cold into a ball"; it is the right time to do a good job of tonic and health preservation at the end of the year.
The health preservation of the great cold focuses on the word "Tibet". It is necessary to cultivate one's mind at ease, concentrate one's mind and restrain one's Qi, pay attention to the harmony of Qi and blood and ease of mind, so as to achieve "righteousness inside, evil cannot be done", and conform to the characteristics of closed storage in winter.
Pay attention to the balance between work and rest in daily life, and go to bed early and get up late to ensure sufficient sleep; pay special attention to keeping warm from the cold, and add clothes in time to avoid the invasion of cold syndrome and induce other diseases.
In terms of diet, when "winter storage" and "spring growth" alternate, winter tonic should also follow the principle of nourishing yin and warming yang, adapt to seasonal changes, and pay attention to protecting the spleen and stomach.
There is a saying of eating "three winters" in the great cold, that is, eating winter melon, winter jujube, and winter sugarcane to achieve the effects of clearing away heat and moistening dryness, nourishing the lungs and benefiting the stomach; you can also eat more longan, red dates, etc., which have the effect of warming the heart and protecting the liver. Yang Qi is ready for hair growth; sweet potatoes, yams, potatoes and other root vegetables can supplement the calories and vitamins needed by the body, so that the body can prepare for the last nourishment in winter and welcome the arrival of spring.
The great cold has arrived, and the ice and snow have not disappeared.
People are looking for peace of mind in the boundless world, watching the warmth of the world on the way home.
Standing in the cold wind and cloud, let us wait together for the spring that is about to bloom.
(Author: Wang Yuxin)
(Guangming Daily, Edition 04, January 20, 2023)