Six Things You Should Know About Major Snow

付寧寧

The traditional Chinese solar calendar di- vides the year into 24 solar terms. Major Snow， the 21st solar term of the year， begins this year on Dec.7 and ends on Dec.21.

During Major Snow， the snow becomes heavy and begins to accumulate on the ground. The temperature drops significantly.

Here are six things you should know about Major Snow.

Snowy winter

The snow in North China may last a whole day， breaking tree branches and blocking the road. The natural scenery is “hundreds of leagues ice-bound go; over thousands of leagues flies snow ”. In the south， snowflakes fall and the world turns white.

A proverb about the snow says，“A timely?snow promises a good harvest ”. As the snow covers the ground， the low winter temperature kills pests.

Appreciating plum blossoms

Plum blossoms usually flower in mid-to- late December in some southern cities of China， and sometimes bloom even earlier. The plum blossom， which originated in China， is re- vered in Chinese culture for its resilience dur- ing severe winters. Along with the pine and bamboo，the plum blossom is considered one of the Three Friends of Winter.

Eating lamb

Lamb is a favorite food for Chinese peo- ple during Major Snow. It s excellent for nour- ishing the body， promoting blood circulation and providing protection against the cold. Peo- ple in Chongqing like to have potted lamb soup or stewed lamb soup with their families and friends. Nanjing residents like to stew lamb with yams or wolfberries to make it more nutri- tious.

Making sausages

During Major Snow， people in southern China， including Nanjing， Hangzhou， Hefei and Chongqing， make sausages， an important part of preparation for Spring Festival.

The best meat for sausage comes from the butt of the pig. The sausage should be dried in a well-ventilated place in the shade， and is edible after a week. Cut off a certain amount， and boil or fry it as you like.

Eating porridge

Hot porridge could help warm you and nourish your body in cold weather. In China， it s customary to eat red bean porridge on the first day of Major Snow and eight-treasure porridge?on the eighth day of the last month of the lunar year. In addition， there are other varieties such as wheat porridge， sesame porridge， radish porridge， walnut porridge and tuckahoe porridge.

Preventing respiratory illness

During this period， Chinese people watch for outbreaks of respiratory illness， which can be prevented by wearing a warm scarf to protect the neck and properly drinking water. During Major Snow， its drier and colder， so people should drink more water. But you should not drink too much water at once. At the same time， dont drink cold water after exercise.

中國傳統二十四節氣的第21個節氣是大雪，今年的大雪節氣從12月7 日開始，12月21日結束。

大雪節氣期間，雪變得厚重，開始在地面上積聚。氣溫大幅下降。

一起來了解一下關于大雪節氣的6個小常識。

萬里雪飄

北方下雪可能會下一整天，把樹枝壓斷，把路堵住。這種自然景象真是“千里冰封，萬里雪飄”。在南方，雪花飄舞，天地之間一片白茫茫。

有句關于雪花的諺語叫“瑞雪兆豐年”。因為雪覆蓋地面時可以凍死害蟲。

賞梅

梅花通常在12月中下旬在南方的一些城市盛開，有時候開得更早。梅花起源于中國，在中國文化中，梅花因為不畏嚴寒而受到敬佩。梅花和松樹、竹子一起并稱為“歲寒三友”。

吃羊肉

中國人最愛在大雪節氣吃羊肉。羊肉可以很好地為身體補充營養、促進血液循環、御寒保暖。重慶人喜歡和親友圍坐在一起吃羊肉湯鍋。南京人喜歡用山藥或枸杞子和羊肉一起燉來增加營養。

制作臘腸

在大雪節氣，南京、杭州、合肥和重慶等南方地區的人會制作臘腸，這是過年必備的重要食物。

做臘腸最好選用豬屁股肉。做好的臘腸要在通風良好的地方陰干，一周后即可食用。切下一段臘腸，煮或煎都行。

喝粥

在寒冷的天氣里喝熱粥可以暖身暖胃，滋養身體。根據中國的習俗，人們會在大雪節氣的第一天喝紅豆粥，在臘月初八這天喝八寶粥。粥的種類還有很多種，比如小麥粥、芝麻粥、蘿卜粥、核桃粥和茯苓粥。

預防呼吸道疾病

這時候是呼吸道疾病高發季節，要多加 小心。要避免呼吸道感染，你可以戴上溫暖 的圍巾來保護頸部，適當地多喝水。大雪節 氣期間天氣更加干燥和寒冷，人們更應該多 喝水。但你也不要一次喝太多。另外，不要 在運動后喝冷水。