What are the traditional customs during the Big Snow solar term? Why do we make pickled meat during the Big Snow solar term?

The Big Snow solar term is one of our traditional 24 solar terms and the third solar term in winter. When the Big Snow solar term arrives, the weather gradually gets colder and snowfall becomes more frequent. As one of the traditional solar terms, what are the traditional customs of the Big Snow solar term?

What are the traditional customs during the Big Snow solar term?

Cured Meat

In some areas, there is a saying that "the Lesser Snow season pickles vegetables, and the Greater Snow season pickles meat". After the Greater Snow season, the New Year is approaching. At this time, every household will be busy preparing New Year's goods, pickling some poultry and seafood, just in time for the New Year to be eaten. They all use traditional production methods, and then use fresh ingredients and various spices for processing. Some pickled meats are smoked after pickling, and some are naturally air-dried after pickling.

Watch the river closure

“Light snow blocks the land, heavy snow blocks the river.” In the past, after the heavy snow, the temperature was extremely low and the ice in the river was frozen. At this time, people would play on the ice to their heart’s content.

Eat sweet potato porridge

Sweet potatoes contain lysine, which is not found in rice and flour. It can promote the body's resistance. Eating sweet potatoes in autumn and winter can also prevent dryness, but you can't eat too much. Middle-aged people can eat more sweet potato porridge to protect their weak spleen, stomach and intestines, promote gastrointestinal motility, facilitate digestion, and prevent constipation. Eating sweet potato porridge can be paired with some side dishes to inhibit stomach acid.

In addition, drinking a bowl of hot porridge in the cold winter can warm your whole body.

Snow tonic

It is especially suitable to eat tonic food after a heavy snow. For example, the old Nanjing people love mutton the most during heavy snow. Mutton is a warm food that can dispel cold and nourish the body, replenish qi and deficiency, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and enhance the ability to resist cold. Mutton can also increase digestive enzymes to help digestion. It can be eaten with yam, wolfberry, etc. for more nutrition.

In Shanghai, people buy Chinese cabbage stewed with meat and sweet and sour red hawthorn. In addition, after the Big Snow solar term, citrus fruits are on the market. Eating them properly can replenish water and prevent winter dryness.

Why do we make pickled meat during the Great Snow Festival?

In my country, the most concentrated production of traditional cured meat is in the south. The south is warm and humid most of the year, which is not conducive to the preservation of food, and cured meat is the best way to preserve meat for a long time after pickling.

Around the time of the Big Snow solar term, the south of China welcomes the coldest season of the year. The low temperature allows meat to be preserved longer, and the cold wind can quickly take away the moisture in the meat. Therefore, the heavy snow forms the most suitable natural weather for making bacon in the year.

Proverbs related to the Big Snow solar term

Even though the snow only covered the ground in a thin layer, the tractor could still plow the land.

Heavy snow falls, we will have to eat steamed buns next year.

If there is no heavy snow, the winter will not come.

Heavy snow means a good harvest.

Heavy snow means a good harvest, while no snow means disaster.

If it snows heavily, there will be no shortage of rain next year.

The river is blocked by heavy snow and no boats can travel on the winter solstice.

When heavy snow blocks the river, the boatmen have to find other jobs; when heavy snow does not block the river, boats can pass through as usual.

The ponds did not freeze during the heavy snow, so we organized our forces to dig deep pits and fill them with water if conditions allowed, to ensure fish farming next year.

Heavy snow does not bring back the cold spring.

Heavy snow and sunny days, heavy snow in the beginning of spring.

If it snows heavily this winter, the harvest will be good next year. If it snows continuously this winter, we will have white flour next year.

When the snow is half melted and then freezes, all insect pests will be wiped out next year.

The three white snows are good for vegetables and wheat.

There is snow in the fields and wheat in the barn.

If there is more snow, the wheat will be good.

If snow covers half of the mountain, you can get one more stone of wheat.

The white snow piles up in the pond, and the granary will be full of grain next year.

Heavy snow falls at the end of the year, and next year will surely be a year of bumper harvest.

Without snow, there will be no New Year; without rain, there will be no farming.