寒露：露寒而冷，秋收冬藏
寒露，为二十四节气中的第十七个节气，通常在公历 10 月 8 – 9 日交节。此时，气温较白露时更低，地面的露水更冷，快要凝结成霜，北方广大地区已呈现深秋景象，白云红叶，偶见早霜，而南方地区也秋意渐浓，蝉噤荷残，万物随寒气增长，逐渐萧索，标志着天气由凉爽向寒冷过渡，也是秋收、秋种、秋管的重要时期即将结束，人们开始为冬季的到来做准备，进行一些诸如收藏粮食、衣物保暖等活动。
一、寒露的历史渊源
寒露有着深厚的历史根基，其记载最早可追溯至《月令七十二候集解》：“九月节，露气寒冷，将凝结也。” 古人凭借对自然细致入微的观察，精准地捕捉到寒露时节的气候特征，并将其纳入二十四节气体系，用以指导农业生产与生活起居。在传统农业社会，寒露时节，北方的冬小麦播种已接近尾声，而南方的晚稻正处于灌浆后期，即将成熟收割。农民们需要密切关注天气变化，抓紧时间完成秋种收尾工作，并为即将到来的收获做好充分准备，如修缮农具、整理粮仓等，这一系列活动充分体现了古人对自然规律的深刻理解与尊重，以及对农业生产的高度重视，寒露节气也因此成为农耕文化传承的重要载体。
二、寒露的民俗文化
（一）饮食习俗
寒露的饮食习俗独具特色。民间有 “寒露吃芝麻” 的传统，芝麻在寒露时节成熟，此时食用芝麻具有滋阴润燥、益肝补肾等功效，能有效缓解秋季干燥带来的不适。芝麻的吃法多样，可以制成芝麻糊、芝麻饼、芝麻油等，其中芝麻糊口感细腻、香甜可口，是寒露时节备受欢迎的滋补佳品。此外，在一些地区还有吃螃蟹的习俗延续自秋分，寒露时的螃蟹依然肥美，人们会用清蒸、红烧等方式烹制螃蟹，一家人围坐在一起品尝这一美味，享受秋日的悠闲时光。同时，寒露时节也是柿子上市的季节，柿子富含多种维生素和矿物质，具有清热润肺、生津止渴等作用，人们会将柿子制成柿饼，便于储存和食用，吃柿子也成为寒露的特色饮食之一。
（二）传统活动
寒露期间的传统活动丰富多彩。赏菊是寒露的一项重要活动，寒露时节，菊花盛开，千姿百态，其不畏寒霜的高洁品质深受人们赞赏。许多地方会举办菊花展览，人们纷纷前往观赏，感受菊花的娇艳与坚韧，菊花也因此成为寒露节气的象征花卉之一，一些文人墨客还会以菊为主题吟诗作画，留下了许多千古佳作，为寒露增添了浓厚的文化氛围。登高也是寒露的传统习俗，此时秋高气爽，天空湛蓝，人们登上高山，既能锻炼身体，又能俯瞰大地的秋日美景，感受大自然的壮美与宁静，同时，登高还有步步高升、祛病避灾等美好寓意，所以深受人们喜爱。在一些农村地区，寒露还有斗蛐蛐儿的活动，蛐蛐儿在秋季活跃，人们捉来蛐蛐儿，精心饲养后让它们相互争斗，观者则在一旁助威呐喊，这一活动充满了趣味性和竞技性，为乡村生活带来了不少欢乐。
三、寒露的文化意义
寒露蕴含着丰富而深刻的文化意义。从自然现象角度看，它是气温持续下降、天气渐寒的标志，反映了大自然在季节交替过程中的节奏变化，万物在寒露时节的变化，如草木凋零、昆虫蛰伏等，是生命适应环境、遵循自然规律的体现，也让人们深刻感受到自然的力量与生命的轮回。在文化层面，寒露的民俗活动反映了人们对自然的敬畏之心、对生活的热爱之情以及对传统文化的传承与弘扬。无论是品尝芝麻、螃蟹、柿子等美食，还是参与赏菊、登高、斗蛐蛐儿等活动。寒露就像一条文化纽带，将自然气候、农业生产与民俗文化紧密相连，在岁月的长河中，它传承着中华民族的智慧与情感，使人们在感受季节变迁的同时，领悟到传统文化的博大精深，从而更加注重与自然和谐相处，积极传承和保护民族文化遗产，在寒冷的季节来临之际，心怀希望，坚守对美好生活的信念。
Cold Dew: The Dew Turns Cold and Freezing, Autumn Harvest and Winter Storage
Cold Dew, the seventeenth solar term among the twenty-four solar terms, usually occurs around October 8 – 9 in the Gregorian calendar. At this time, the temperature is lower than that in White Dew, and the dew on the ground is colder and is about to condense into frost. In the vast northern regions, a late autumn scene has emerged, with white clouds and red leaves and occasional early frost. In the southern regions, autumn is also gradually deepening, with cicadas silenced and lotuses withered. All things become desolate with the increase of cold air. It marks the transition of the weather from cool to cold and also indicates that the important period of autumn harvest, autumn sowing and autumn management is coming to an end. People start to prepare for the arrival of winter, such as storing grains and keeping clothes warm.
1. Historical Origin of Cold Dew
Cold Dew has a profound historical foundation. Its earliest record can be traced back to “The Collection and Explanation of the Seventy-two Phenological Terms of the Monthly Ordinances”: “The solar term in the ninth lunar month, the dew is cold and is about to condense.” The ancients, through their meticulous observation of nature, accurately captured the climatic characteristics of the Cold Dew season and incorporated it into the twenty-four solar terms system to guide agricultural production and daily life. In traditional agricultural society, during the Cold Dew season, the sowing of winter wheat in the north is nearing completion, and the late rice in the south is in the late stage of grain filling and is about to be harvested. Farmers need to closely monitor the weather changes, hurry to complete the final work of autumn sowing and make full preparations for the upcoming harvest, such as repairing farm tools and tidying up granaries. This series of activities fully reflects the ancients’ profound understanding and respect for the laws of nature and their high attention to agricultural production. Therefore, the Cold Dew solar term has become an important carrier of the inheritance of agricultural culture.
2. Folk Culture of Cold Dew
(1) Dietary Customs
Cold Dew has unique dietary customs. There is a traditional custom of “eating sesame during Cold Dew” among the people. Sesame matures during the Cold Dew season. Eating sesame at this time has the effects of nourishing yin, moistening dryness, benefiting the liver and tonifying the kidney and can effectively relieve the discomfort caused by the dryness of autumn. Sesame can be eaten in various ways, such as making sesame paste, sesame cakes and sesame oil. Among them, sesame paste has a fine texture and a sweet and delicious taste and is a popular nourishing product during the Cold Dew season. In addition, in some regions, the custom of eating crabs, which has continued since the Autumn Equinox, still exists. Crabs are still plump during Cold Dew. People will cook crabs by steaming or braising and the whole family will sit around and taste this delicious dish and enjoy the leisurely time of autumn. At the same time, the Cold Dew season is also the season when persimmons are on the market. Persimmons are rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals and have the functions of clearing heat, moistening the lungs, promoting fluid production and quenching thirst. People will make persimmon cakes for easy storage and consumption. Eating persimmons has also become one of the characteristic diets of Cold Dew.
(2) Traditional Activities
The traditional activities during Cold Dew are rich and colorful. Admiring chrysanthemums is an important activity during Cold Dew. During Cold Dew, chrysanthemums are in full bloom and in various postures. Their noble quality of not fearing frost is deeply appreciated by people. Many places will hold chrysanthemum exhibitions and people will go to admire them and feel the beauty and toughness of chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemums have thus become one of the symbolic flowers of the Cold Dew solar term. Some literati and scholars will also write poems and paint pictures with chrysanthemums as the theme, leaving many masterpieces through the ages and adding a strong cultural atmosphere to Cold Dew. Climbing mountains is also a traditional custom of Cold Dew. At this time, the autumn air is crisp and the sky is blue. People climb mountains, which can not only exercise the body but also overlook the beautiful autumn scenery of the earth and feel the magnificence and tranquility of nature. At the same time, climbing mountains also has good meanings such as rising higher step by step and warding off diseases and disasters, so it is deeply loved by people. In some rural areas, there is also an activity of cricket fighting during Cold Dew. Crickets are active in autumn. People catch crickets and carefully raise them and then let them fight against each other. The spectators cheer on the sidelines. This activity is full of fun and competitiveness and brings a lot of joy to rural life.
3. Cultural Significance of Cold Dew
Cold Dew contains rich and profound cultural significance. From the perspective of natural phenomena, it is a sign of the continuous decrease in temperature and the gradual cold of the weather, reflecting the rhythmic changes of nature in the alternation of seasons. The changes of all things during Cold Dew, such as the withering of plants and the hibernation of insects, are the manifestations of life adapting to the environment and following the laws of nature and also make people deeply feel the power of nature and the cycle of life. On a cultural level, the folk activities of Cold Dew reflect people’s awe of nature, love for life and the inheritance and promotion of traditional culture. Whether it is tasting delicious foods such as sesame, crabs and persimmons or participating in activities such as admiring chrysanthemums, climbing mountains and cricket fighting. Cold Dew is like a cultural bond that closely connects natural climate, agricultural production and folk culture. In the long river of history, it inherits the wisdom and emotions of the Chinese nation. It makes people understand the profoundness of traditional culture while feeling the seasonal changes and thus pay more attention to living in harmony with nature, actively inherit and protect the national cultural heritage and hold hope and adhere to the belief in a beautiful life when the cold season is approaching.