小寒：月初寒尚小，莫负好时光
小寒，是二十四节气中的第二十三个节气，通常在公历 1 月 5 – 7 日交节。小寒时节，虽然寒冷尚未到达极致，但气温已经显著下降，天寒地冻，滴水成冰，我国大部分地区开始进入一年中最寒冷的时段之一。此时，旧岁近暮，新岁即将来临，大自然在寒冷中孕育着生机，人们也在为新春的到来忙碌筹备着。
一、小寒的历史渊源
小寒在我国历史文化中源远流长，其历史可追溯至古代。据《月令七十二候集解》记载：“小寒，十二月节。月初寒尚小，故云。月半则大矣。” 古人通过对自然气候的长期观察与总结，精确地把握了小寒时节的气候特点，并将其纳入二十四节气体系，用以指导农业生产与人们的日常生活。在传统农业社会，小寒是一个重要的农事节点，北方地区的农民会加强对越冬农作物的田间管理，如进行冬灌、施肥、覆盖等，以保护农作物免受严寒侵害，确保来年的丰收；南方地区则忙于油菜、小麦等冬季作物的田间管理以及冬季积肥等工作，同时，一些地区也开始为早春的蔬菜种植做准备，如搭建温室、整理苗床等，这一系列农事活动充分体现了古人依据节气规律合理安排农事的智慧，小寒节气也因此成为我国农耕文化的重要组成部分。
二、小寒的民俗文化
（一）饮食习俗
小寒有着独特的饮食习俗。民间有 “小寒大寒，冷成冰团” 的说法，在寒冷的小寒时节，人们倾向于食用一些温热性的食物来驱寒保暖，增强体质。吃腊八粥是小寒的重要习俗之一，腊八粥的食材丰富多样，通常包括大米、小米、糯米、红豆、绿豆、红枣、桂圆、莲子等，这些食材混合熬煮后，营养丰富，口感香甜。传说喝腊八粥可以祛病祈福，保佑一家人在新的一年里健康平安。在北方地区，小寒时还有吃羊肉的习俗，羊肉性温热，具有补肾壮阳、温中暖胃等功效，常见的吃法有炖羊肉、涮羊肉等，一家人围坐在一起吃羊肉，既能抵御寒冷，又能增进家庭的温馨氛围。此外，在一些地区，小寒时节有吃菜饭的传统，菜饭以青菜、咸肉、香肠、糯米等为主要原料，将这些食材一起炒制后加水煮熟，饭菜合一，味道鲜美，深受当地人们喜爱。
（二）传统活动
小寒期间的传统活动也颇具特色。探梅是小寒时节的雅事之一，此时梅花正含苞待放，或初绽芳容，人们会在天气晴朗的日子里前往梅林赏梅。梅花在严寒中独自绽放，其坚韧高洁的品质深受文人墨客的赞赏，他们在赏梅的过程中，往往会吟诗作画，留下许多赞美梅花的佳作，为小寒增添了浓厚的文化氛围。在一些农村地区，小寒有腊祭的传统习俗，腊祭是古代祭祀祖先和神灵的一种仪式，人们会在这一天准备丰盛的祭品，祭祀祖先和天地神灵，感谢他们在过去一年里的庇佑，并祈求来年风调雨顺、五谷丰登、人畜兴旺。腊祭不仅是一种宗教信仰活动，更是家族团聚、传承家族文化的重要时刻，它体现了人们对祖先的敬重与感恩之情，以及对美好生活的向往与期盼。另外，小寒时节正值冬季农闲时期，一些民间艺人会走村串户，表演各种传统技艺，如舞龙舞狮、杂技、戏曲等，为乡村带来了欢乐和热闹的氛围，丰富了村民们的精神文化生活。
三、小寒的文化意义
小寒蕴含着丰富而深刻的文化意义。从自然科学角度看，它是地球气候循环在冬季的一个重要阶段，小寒时节的寒冷天气对自然生态系统有着多方面的影响，例如促使一些动植物进入休眠状态，减少能量消耗，以适应寒冷的环境，这是大自然生命节律的体现，展示了生命在不同环境下的生存智慧。在文化层面，小寒的民俗活动反映了人们对自然环境变化的适应与应对策略。饮食习俗体现了人们根据季节特点选择适宜食物来调养身体的智慧；探梅、欣赏民间艺人表演等活动展示了人们对自然美和艺术美的追求，在寒冷的季节里丰富了精神世界；腊祭则蕴含着人们对祖先的崇敬、对家族传承的重视以及对神灵的敬畏之心，反映了传统宗教信仰和家族观念在人们生活中的重要地位。小寒就像一个文化纽带，连接着自然与人文，传承着中华民族千年的智慧与情感，它提醒人们在寒冷的冬季要遵循自然规律，合理安排生活，注重身体调养和精神文化的滋养，在旧岁将尽、新春即将来临之际，感受时光的流转与文化的传承，以积极乐观的态度迎接新的一年。
Minor Cold: Slight Cold at the Beginning of the Month, Don’t Waste the Good Time
Minor Cold, the twenty-third solar term among the twenty-four solar terms, usually occurs around January 5 – 7 in the Gregorian calendar. During Minor Cold, although the cold has not reached its extreme, the temperature has dropped significantly. It is freezing cold and water freezes into ice. Most parts of China begin to enter one of the coldest periods of the year. At this time, the old year is coming to an end and the new year is approaching. Nature is breeding vitality in the cold, and people are busy preparing for the arrival of the new spring.
1. Historical Origin of Minor Cold
Minor Cold has a long history 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”: “Minor Cold, the solar term in the twelfth lunar month. The cold is still slight at the beginning of the month, so it is called Minor Cold. It will be colder in the middle of the month.” The ancients, through long-term observation and summary of the natural climate, accurately grasped the climatic characteristics of Minor Cold and incorporated it into the twenty-four solar terms system to guide agricultural production and people’s daily life. In traditional agricultural society, Minor Cold was an important farming node. Farmers in the northern regions would strengthen the field management of winter crops, such as winter irrigation, fertilization and mulching, to protect crops from the severe cold and ensure a good harvest in the coming year. In the southern regions, they were busy with the field management of winter crops such as rapeseed and wheat and winter fertilization. At the same time, some regions also began to prepare for the early spring vegetable planting, such as building greenhouses and tidying up seedbeds. This series of farming activities fully reflects the wisdom of the ancients in reasonably arranging farming according to the solar term laws. Therefore, Minor Cold has become an important part of China’s agricultural culture.
2. Folk Culture of Minor Cold
(1) Dietary Customs
Minor Cold has unique dietary customs. There is a saying among the people that “during Minor Cold and Great Cold, it is cold enough to form ice balls”. In the cold Minor Cold season, people tend to eat some warm-natured foods to keep warm and strengthen their bodies. Eating Laba porridge is one of the important customs during Minor Cold. The ingredients of Laba porridge are diverse and usually include rice, millet, glutinous rice, red beans, mung beans, red dates, longan, lotus seeds, etc. After these ingredients are boiled together, they are rich in nutrition and have a sweet taste. It is said that drinking Laba porridge can expel diseases and pray for good luck and protect the family’s health and safety in the new year. In the northern regions, there is also a custom of eating mutton during Minor Cold. Mutton is warm in nature and has the functions of tonifying the kidney and strengthening yang, warming the middle and stomach. Common eating methods include stewing mutton and instant-boiling mutton. The family sitting around and eating mutton can not only resist the cold but also enhance the warm and harmonious family atmosphere. In addition, in some regions, there is a traditional of eating vegetable rice during Minor Cold. Vegetable rice takes green vegetables, cured meat, sausage and glutinous rice as the main ingredients. These ingredients are stir-fried together and then boiled with water. The rice and vegetables are combined and have a delicious taste and are deeply loved by the local people.
(2) Traditional Activities
The traditional activities during Minor Cold also have their own characteristics. Appreciating plum blossoms is one of the refined activities during Minor Cold. At this time, plum blossoms are in bud or just beginning to bloom. People will go to the plum grove to appreciate plum blossoms on sunny days. Plum blossoms bloom alone in the severe cold, and their tough and noble qualities are deeply appreciated by literati and scholars. During the process of appreciating plum blossoms, they often write poems and paint pictures, leaving many excellent works praising plum blossoms and adding a strong cultural atmosphere to Minor Cold. In some rural areas, there is a traditional custom of La sacrifice during Minor Cold. La sacrifice is an ancient ceremony of sacrificing to ancestors and gods. People will prepare rich sacrifices on this day and sacrifice to ancestors and heaven and earth gods, thanking them for their protection in the past year and praying for favorable weather, a bumper harvest and prosperity of people and livestock in the coming year. La sacrifice is not only a religious belief activity but also an important moment for family reunion and inheritance of family culture. It reflects people’s respect and gratitude for ancestors and their longing and expectation for a beautiful life. In addition, during Minor Cold, it is the slack farming period in winter. Some folk artists will go from village to village and perform various traditional skills, such as dragon and lion dances, acrobatics and operas, bringing joy and a lively atmosphere to the countryside and enriching the spiritual and cultural life of villagers.
3. Cultural Significance of Minor Cold
Minor Cold contains rich and profound cultural significance. From the perspective of natural science, it is an important stage of the earth’s climate cycle in winter. The cold weather during Minor Cold has various effects on the natural ecosystem. For example, it prompts some animals and plants to enter a dormant state and reduce energy consumption to adapt to the cold environment. This is a manifestation of the life rhythm of nature and shows the survival wisdom of life in different environments. On a cultural level, the folk activities of Minor Cold reflect people’s adaptation and coping strategies to the changes of the natural environment. Dietary customs reflect people’s wisdom in choosing suitable foods to regulate their bodies according to the characteristics of the season. Activities such as appreciating plum blossoms and enjoying the performances of folk artists show people’s pursuit of natural and artistic beauty and enrich the spiritual world in the cold season. La sacrifice contains people’s respect for ancestors, attention to family inheritance and awe of gods and reflects the important position of traditional religious beliefs and family concepts in people’s lives. Minor Cold is like a cultural bond, connecting nature and humanity, inheriting the wisdom and emotions of the Chinese nation for thousands of years. It reminds people to follow the laws of nature, reasonably arrange their lives, pay attention to body conditioning and spiritual and cultural nourishment in the cold winter. When the old year is coming to an end and the new year is approaching, feel the passage of time and the inheritance of culture and welcome the new year with a positive and optimistic attitude.