What is the traditional meaning of Dahan?

What does the Great Cold mean? What is the traditional meaning of the Great Cold?

The weather is severely cold, and the coldest period has arrived. Dahan means that the weather is extremely cold. The Great Cold is the last solar term among the 24 solar terms. It occurs when the sun reaches 300° longitude around January 20 every year. "Tongkao Tianshi" quoted from "Sanliyi Zong": "The Great Cold is the middle one, and the upper shape is better than the Lesser Han, so it is called the Great - the reverse extreme of the cold, so it is called the Great Cold."

The Great Cold. During the solar term, the atmospheric circulation is relatively stable, and the circulation adjustment period is about 20 days. When this kind of circulation adjusts, widespread rain, snow, and windy cooling often occur. When there is a long-wave ridge to the west of 80 degrees east longitude and a large coastal trough in East Asia, our country is controlled by the northwest wind flow and is affected by the continuous replenishment of cold air, which will cause persistent low temperatures.

In ancient China, the Great Cold was divided into three periods: "The first period is chicken milk; the second period is bird disease; the third period is water and abdominal solidity."

That is to say, the Great Cold solar term can be The chicks are hatching. Birds such as hawks and falcons are in a state of extremely strong hunting ability at this time, hovering in the air in search of food to replenish their body's energy to withstand the severe cold; during the severe cold season, the average temperature in most parts of southern China is 6 ℃ to 8 ℃, nearly 1 ℃ higher than Xiaohan. The proverb "Small cold and big cold are all cold", indicating that the big cold solar term is also a cold period of the year.

What are the dietary customs during the Great Cold Season?

Eight-treasure rice is a traditional custom food during the Great Cold Season. It is a Han nationality food and is popular all over the country, especially in the south of the Yangtze River. Steam the glutinous rice, mix it with sugar, lard, and sweet-scented osmanthus, then pour it into a container filled with red dates, barley, lotus seeds, longan meat and other fruit ingredients. After steaming, add sugar marinade and serve. It tastes very sweet and is a great treat for holidays and entertaining guests. Eating eight-treasure rice during the severe cold season can strengthen the spleen, nourish qi, nourish blood and calm the mind. It is suitable for people with weak qi and blood, such as physical weakness, fatigue and fatigue.

The arrival of the Great Cold solar term means that the Spring Festival is not far away, so the eight-treasure rice in the Great Cold solar term pays attention to auspicious meanings and brings good luck. First, the eight-treasure rice is often served later in the banquet, which is similar to the Western after-dinner meal. Sweets, and southerners especially like sweets.

Second, take its auspicious meaning, because whether it is the name "Eight Treasures" or the ingredients used, "lily" (meaning a hundred years of good union), "red dates" (meaning early birth of a child) (the meaning of the rice is lotus seeds), and in addition, the shape and sweetness of the eight-treasure rice also have the meaning of perfection and sweetness.

Great Cold Farming Activities

Small Cold and Great Cold are the periods with the least rainfall in the year. Different regions have different farming habits and conditions and timely irrigation is undoubtedly of great benefit to the growth of spring crops. Benefits.

For some crops, appropriate low temperatures are required during a certain growth period. In agricultural production, we must grasp the changing laws of cold and warm, plant crops rationally, and avoid unnecessary losses. For example, before introducing new crop varieties, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the terrain, surrounding environment, temperature, precipitation, humidity, etc. of the planting area, and to fully investigate and demonstrate whether the introduced varieties are suitable for the local meteorological environment.

During the Great Cold, the weather is cold and the humidity is low. Plants have stopped growing and are particularly dry. Pay special attention to fire safety when burning wild lands or heating at home to prevent fires.

During the Great Cold Season, there is still very little farm work in various places. Ordinary people in the north are busy accumulating manure and compost in preparation for spring; or protecting their livestock from cold and frost.

The southern region still strengthens field management of wheat and other crops. In the Lingnan area of ??Guangdong, there is a custom of catching voles together during the Great Cold. Because the crops have been harvested at this time, many vole nests that are usually invisible are exposed. The Great Cold has also become an important opportunity for the local voles in Lingnan to focus on eradicating voles.