二十四節(jié)氣之大寒

大寒是二十四節(jié)氣的最后一個(gè)節(jié)氣，通常在每年公歷1月20日前后，也是冬季六個(gè)節(jié)氣中的最后一個(gè)。大寒同小寒一樣，代表天氣寒冷的程度。此時(shí)，冷空氣頻繁南下，各地紛紛迎來(lái)新一輪的降溫、雨雪和大風(fēng)。中國(guó)北方地區(qū)降至零下十幾度，南方地區(qū)的氣溫也逼近零度。

Dahan， or the Great Cold， is the last of the 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese calendar. It usually falls around 20th January annually， marking the last of the six winter solar terms； like Xiaohan， it signifies the depth of winter’s chill. During this time， cold fronts often sweep southwards， bringing another wave of low temperatures， snow， rain， and strong winds. In northern China， temperatures often plummet to below minus ten degrees Celsius， while in southern regions thermometers dip to close to freezing point.

大寒時(shí)節(jié)恰逢臘月時(shí)分，臘月是陰歷中的最后一個(gè)月。大寒正值一年的年末，是辭舊迎新之際。古來(lái)素有“大寒迎年”的說(shuō)法。春節(jié)臨近，各地都張燈結(jié)彩，在異鄉(xiāng)的工作族和學(xué)生黨也即將啟程回家過(guò)年，到處都是歡樂(lè)的氛圍。迎接春節(jié)的喜悅大大沖淡了寒冬的煩悶。人們于春節(jié)前夕進(jìn)行祈福祭灶、掃塵潔物、寫(xiě)春聯(lián)、貼窗花、腌制臘味、置辦年貨，為春節(jié)做好準(zhǔn)備。

Dahan coincides with the twelfth lunar month， known as Layue， the last month of the traditional Chinese calendar. The Dahan period marks the end of the year and the transition to a fresh start， embodying the saying： “The Great Cold welcomes the New Year.” With the Spring Festival just around the corner， festive decorations brighten all areas； workers and students prepare to return home from afar， creating an atmosphere of joy and excitement. Anticipation of the Chinese New Year sweeps away the gloom of winter. In the days preceding the festival， people engage in various traditions： offering blessings to the Kitchen God， cleaning and tidying their homes， writing Spring Festival couplets， decorating windows with paper cuttings， curing meat， and shopping for the New Year. All these preparations set the stage for a vibrant and joyful celebration.

大寒時(shí)節(jié)也是人們調(diào)養(yǎng)身體的重要時(shí)段。此時(shí)，人們要遵循中醫(yī)的主張—秋冬養(yǎng)陰，適度調(diào)整飲食，多食用苦味的食物，如芹菜、萵筍、生菜、苦苣等。在很多寒冷的地區(qū)，人們還聚在一起，圍著熱騰騰的爐子吃火鍋。此情此景正如清代對(duì)聯(lián)“圍爐聚飲歡呼處，百味消融小釜中”所說(shuō)，團(tuán)圓的喜悅都融于熱騰騰的鍋?zhàn)又辛恕?/p>

The Dahan period is also a key period for bodily nourishment； traditional Chinese medicine holds that the time to nurture yin is in autumn and winter. People are encouraged to adjust their diets， incorporating more bitter foods such as celery， asparagus lettuce， lettuce， and endive. In colder regions， gathering around a steaming hot pot becomes a heart-warming ritual； friends and families sit together， enjoying the bubbling pot which melts away the cold， strengthening bonds. A famous Qing Dynasty couplet captures this perfectly： “Around the stove， we drink and cheer； a hundred flavours meld in the little pot.”In this moment， warmth， flavour and joy blend beautifully.

此外，人們還可根據(jù)大寒時(shí)天氣寒冷的程度預(yù)測(cè)來(lái)年的情況。俗語(yǔ)云：“大寒見(jiàn)三白，農(nóng)人衣食足。”“三白”即白雪、白露、白霜。在北方地區(qū)，大寒時(shí)節(jié)的降雪為來(lái)年的耕種儲(chǔ)備了水分，同時(shí)殺死了蟲(chóng)害。在南方地區(qū)，白露也同樣有促進(jìn)來(lái)年植物生長(zhǎng)的作用。大寒天氣寒冷、多雨雪，則來(lái)年物產(chǎn)豐收大好。

During the Dahan period， the intensity of the cold offers clues about the year to come. As the saying goes：“If the Great Cold brings three whites， farmers will have abundant food and clothing.” The phrase “three whites”refers to white snow， white dew， and hoar frost. In northern regions， snowfall during this period replenishes the soil’s moisture， preparing for spring planting and helping to eliminate pests. Similarly， in the south， dew provides favourable conditions for the following year’s crops. When Dahan is marked by cold， snowy， and rainy weather， this often signals a bountiful harvest in the coming year.

春夏秋冬又一春，在大寒的尾聲中，人們滿(mǎn)懷期待地等待新年的到來(lái)，并進(jìn)入新一輪節(jié)氣的循環(huán)。

As the cycle of spring， summer， autumn， and winter comes full circle， Dahan marks the closing chapter of the year. With hopeful hearts， people eagerly await the Chinese New Year， preparing to embrace the next round of solar terms.