大寒：寒气之逆极，岁末待新春
大寒，作为二十四节气中的最后一个节气，通常在公历 1 月 20 – 21 日交节。此时，正值三九、四九时段，是一年中最寒冷的时期，风大、低温，地面积雪不化，呈现出冰天雪地、天寒地冻的严寒景象。然而，大寒的到来也意味着旧的一年即将结束，新春即将来临，在这寒冷的极致之中，又蕴含着人们对新开始、新希望的期待与憧憬。
一、大寒的历史渊源
大寒在我国历史文化中有着深厚的底蕴，其历史可追溯至古代。据《月令七十二候集解》记载：“大寒，十二月中。解见前。” 古人通过对自然气候的长期观察与总结，将大寒确立为节气，用以指导农业生产与社会生活。在传统农业社会，大寒时节虽寒冷，但却是农闲时期，农民们会利用这段时间进行一些室内的农事活动，如修缮农具、整理仓库等，为来年的春耕做准备。同时，大寒也是人们总结过去一年农事经验、规划新一年农业生产的重要时刻，这一系列活动反映了古人对自然规律的尊重以及对农业生产的重视，大寒节气也因此成为我国农耕文化传承的重要组成部分。
二、大寒的民俗文化
（一）饮食习俗
大寒有着独特的饮食习俗。民间有 “小寒大寒，无风自寒” 的说法，在这寒冷的节气里，人们会食用一些高热量、滋补性的食物来抵御严寒，为身体补充能量。吃糯米饭是南方一些地区的习俗，糯米饭通常会加入腊肉、腊肠、虾米、香菇等食材一起烹制，这些食材相互搭配，使得糯米饭口感丰富，油润可口，具有很好的驱寒保暖作用。在北方地区，大寒时节有吃炖菜的习惯，如白菜炖豆腐、猪肉炖粉条等，这些炖菜以其浓郁的汤汁和丰富的食材，为人们带来满满的温暖。此外，还有喝腊八粥的习俗，腊八粥由多种谷物、豆类、干果等熬制而成，营养丰富，传说喝了腊八粥可以祛病祈福，在大寒这一天喝上一碗热气腾腾的腊八粥，不仅能暖身，也寓意着新的一年里吉祥安康。
（二）传统活动
大寒期间的传统活动丰富多彩，且充满了浓郁的节日氛围。尾牙祭是大寒的重要传统活动之一，尤其在一些商业活动较为发达的地区盛行。各商家店铺会举行祭祀仪式，祭拜土地公，感谢土地公在过去一年里对生意的庇佑，并祈求新的一年里生意兴隆、财源广进。同时，这也是雇主犒劳伙计、宴请亲朋的时刻，大家聚在一起，共享美食，增进感情，尾牙祭也成为维系商业伙伴关系和社会人际关系的重要纽带。在民间，还有扫尘的习俗，“扫尘” 即大扫除，人们会在大寒期间对家中进行全面的清扫，清除一年来的灰尘污垢，寓意着扫除旧年的晦气，迎接新年的到来，干干净净、清清爽爽地开启新的生活。此外，大寒临近春节，人们也开始忙着采购年货、写春联、贴窗花等，为新春佳节做足准备，大街小巷都洋溢着浓浓的年味。
三、大寒的文化意义
大寒蕴含着深刻的文化意义。从自然规律角度看，它是冬季寒冷的极致体现，是地球气候循环的一个重要阶段，寒冷的气候对自然生态系统有着多方面的影响，如促使一些动植物进入更深层次的休眠或适应机制，这是大自然生命节律的一部分，体现了生命在极端环境下的坚韧与适应性。在文化层面，大寒的民俗活动反映了人们对自然的敬畏、对生活的热爱以及对新年的期盼。饮食习俗体现了人们根据季节变化调整饮食结构以保持身体健康的智慧；尾牙祭展示了商业文化与传统民俗的融合，反映了人们对经济繁荣和社会和谐的追求；扫尘、备年货等活动则蕴含着人们对旧时光的告别和对新生活的向往，是家庭观念和传统文化传承的生动体现。大寒就像一座桥梁，连接着旧岁与新春，在寒冷的冬日里，它承载着中华民族千年的文化记忆与情感，让人们在感受自然寒冷的同时，也能体会到传统文化的温暖与力量，激励着人们以积极的心态告别过去，迎接充满希望与生机的新年。
Great Cold: The Extreme of Cold, Waiting for the New Spring at the End of the Year
Great Cold, the last solar term among the twenty-four solar terms, usually occurs around January 20 – 21 in the Gregorian calendar. At this time, it is in the period of the third and fourth nines of the winter, which is the coldest period of the year, with strong winds, low temperatures and unmelted snow on the ground, presenting a freezing and bitterly cold scene. However, the arrival of Great Cold also means that the old year is coming to an end and the new spring is approaching. In this extreme cold, there is also people’s expectation and longing for a new beginning and new hope.
1. Historical Origin of Great Cold
Great Cold has a profound heritage in China’s historical culture, and its history can be traced back to ancient times. According to “The Collection and Explanation of the Seventy-two Phenological Terms of the Monthly Ordinances”: “Great Cold, in the middle of the twelfth lunar month. See the previous explanation.” The ancients, through long-term observation and summary of the natural climate, established Great Cold as a solar term to guide agricultural production and social life. In traditional agricultural society, although it was cold during Great Cold, it was a slack farming period. Farmers would use this time to carry out some indoor farming activities, such as repairing farm tools and tidying up warehouses, preparing for the spring ploughing in the coming year. At the same time, Great Cold was also an important moment for people to summarize the farming experience of the past year and plan the agricultural production of the new year. This series of activities reflects the ancients’ respect for the laws of nature and their attention to agricultural production. Therefore, the Great Cold solar term has become an important part of the inheritance of China’s agricultural culture.
2. Folk Culture of Great Cold
(1) Dietary Customs
Great Cold has unique dietary customs. There is a saying among the people that “during Minor Cold and Great Cold, it is cold even without wind”. In this cold solar term, people will eat some high-calorie and nourishing foods to resist the severe cold and supplement energy for the body. Eating glutinous rice is a custom in some southern regions. Glutinous rice is usually cooked with ingredients such as cured meat, sausage, dried shrimps and mushrooms. These ingredients match each other, making the glutinous rice have a rich taste, oily and delicious and having a good effect of keeping warm. In the northern regions, there is a habit of eating stewed dishes during Great Cold, such as Chinese cabbage stewed with tofu and pork stewed with vermicelli. These stewed dishes, with their thick soup and rich ingredients, bring people a lot of warmth. In addition, there is also a custom of drinking Laba porridge. Laba porridge is made by boiling a variety of grains, beans and dried fruits and is rich in nutrition. It is said that drinking Laba porridge can expel diseases and pray for good luck. Drinking a bowl of steaming hot Laba porridge on Great Cold not only warms the body but also implies good luck and health in the new year.
(2) Traditional Activities
The traditional activities during Great Cold are rich and colorful and full of a strong festive atmosphere. The “Tail-ye Festival” is one of the important traditional activities during Great Cold, especially popular in some regions with relatively developed commercial activities. Business shops will hold sacrificial ceremonies, worship the God of the Land, thank the God of the Land for his protection of the business in the past year and pray for prosperous business and good fortune in the new year. At the same time, this is also the time for employers to reward employees and invite relatives and friends to a banquet. Everyone gets together, shares delicious food and enhances feelings. The “Tail-ye Festival” has also become an important bond for maintaining business partnerships and social interpersonal relationships. Among the people, there is also a custom of “sweeping the dust”. “Sweeping the dust” means a thorough cleaning. People will comprehensively clean their homes during Great Cold, removing the dust and dirt of the past year, implying sweeping away the bad luck of the old year and welcoming the arrival of the new year, starting a new life cleanly and refreshingly. In addition, Great Cold is close to the Spring Festival, and people also start to be busy purchasing New Year’s goods, writing Spring Festival couplets and pasting window flowers, making full preparations for the Spring Festival. The streets and alleys are filled with a strong flavor of the New Year.
3. Cultural Significance of Great Cold
Great Cold contains profound cultural significance. From the perspective of natural laws, it is the extreme manifestation of the cold in winter and an important stage of the earth’s climate cycle. The cold climate has various effects on the natural ecosystem, such as prompting some animals and plants to enter a deeper level of dormancy or adaptation mechanism. This is a part of the life rhythm of nature and reflects the tenacity and adaptability of life in an extreme environment. On a cultural level, the folk activities of Great Cold reflect people’s awe of nature, love for life and expectation for the New Year. Dietary customs reflect people’s wisdom in adjusting the diet structure according to the seasonal changes to maintain good health. The “Tail-ye Festival” shows the integration of commercial culture and traditional folklore and reflects people’s pursuit of economic prosperity and social harmony. Activities such as “sweeping the dust” and preparing New Year’s goods contain people’s farewell to the old days and longing for a new life and are a vivid manifestation of family concepts and the inheritance of traditional culture. Great Cold is like a bridge, connecting the old year and the new spring. In the cold winter, it carries the cultural memories and emotions of the Chinese nation for thousands of years. It makes people feel the warmth and power of traditional culture while experiencing the natural cold and inspires people to bid farewell to the past with a positive attitude and welcome a new year full of hope and vitality.