The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms。 Major Cold （Chinese： 大寒）， the 24th solar term， begins this year on Jan 20 and ends on Feb 4。

　　中國農(nóng)歷傳統(tǒng)上將一年分為24個節(jié)氣，大寒正是第24個節(jié)氣。今年大寒從1月20日開始，2月4日結(jié)束。

　　Major Cold is the last solar term in winter and also the last solar term in the annual lunar calendar。 In this period， snow， rain and icy cold weather exert a big influence on people’s lives。

　　大寒是寒冷冬天的最后一個節(jié)氣，也是農(nóng)歷的最后一個節(jié)氣。在此期間，雪，雨和冰冷天氣會對人們的生活產(chǎn)生非常大的影響。

　　Here are six things you should know about Major Cold。

　　以下是關(guān)于大寒你需要知道的幾件事。

　　1 Cold current

　　1。寒潮來襲

　　During Major Cold， as the cold current moves southward， the weather is very cold。 Although modern meteorological observation shows that in some regions of China the weather during Major Cold is not colder than Minor Cold， the lowest temperatures of the whole year still occur in the Major Cold period in some coastal areas。

　　大寒期間，因為寒流向南方移動，天氣變得非常寒冷。盡管現(xiàn)代氣象觀測顯示，在中國的一些地區(qū)，大寒并沒有小寒時冷，但在一些沿海地區(qū)，全年的最低氣溫仍然出現(xiàn)大寒期間。

　　2 Eating “dispelling cold cake

　　2。吃“消寒糕”

　　During Major Cold， People in Beijing have a habit of eating “dispelling cold cake”， a kind of rice cake。 Sticky rice， the cake’s main ingredient， contains more sugar than rice， which can make people feel warm all over their bodies。 In Chinese the word “rice cake” has the same pronunciation with the word “higher in a new year”， which symbolizes good luck and continual promotion。

　　在大寒這一天，北京人民有吃“消寒糕”的習俗。它是年糕的一種，主要成分是比大米含糖量高的糯米，食用后全身感覺暖和。在中國文字里，年糕還有“年高”之意，寓意吉祥如意、步步高升頭。

　　3 Buying sesame straw

　　3。購買芝麻秸

　　Major Cold always coincides with the end of the year in lunar calendar。 In some areas of China， people always fall over each other in eagerness to buy sesame straw during this period because of the old saying， “Rise joint by joint like sesame flowers on the stem。” This saying is used to describe either ever-rising living standards or making steady progress in thought， studies or skills。

　　大寒節(jié)氣，時常和歲末時間相重合。在中國的一些地區(qū)，人們總是爭相的急于在此期間購買芝麻秸，因為諺語說，“芝麻開花節(jié)節(jié)高”。這句話常用來形容不斷提高生活水平，抑或是在思想，學習或技能方面取得穩(wěn)步進展。

　　4.Eating fried spring roll

　　4。吃炸春卷

　　In Anqing of Anhui province， people traditionally eat fried spring rolls during Major Cold。 They use a round， cooked， thin pancake to wrap stuffing in a thin roll。 Then it is fried in a pan with oil until it turns yellow and floats to the top。 The stuffing inside the spring roll contains meat or vegetables and the flavor can be salty or sweet。

　　在安徽省安慶，大寒節(jié)氣有吃炸春卷的習俗。他們用一個圓形、熟的薄餅包裹上餡料，做成細細的春卷，然后，放入平底鍋油炸，直到它變成黃色并浮上來。春卷里面的餡含有肉或蔬菜，味道可咸可甜。

　　5.Drinking stewed soup

　　5。 喝湯取暖

　　Residents in Nanjing of Jiangsu province like to drink stewed soup during Major Cold， which can make people feel warm from head to foot。 They always stew the aged hen soup with ginseng， matrimony vine and black fungus。

　　江蘇南京市民喜歡在大寒這天偎湯喝，能讓人從頭暖到腳。他們總是喜歡燉人參枸杞黑木耳老母雞湯。

　　6.Doing winter sports

　　6。做冬季運動

　　There is a saying that goes， “Dripping water freezes during Minor and Major Cold。” In various regions of China， Major Cold is the perfect time for winter sports such as skiing， ice skating and sledding。

　　民諺有云，“小寒大寒，滴水成冰”。在中國各個地區(qū)，大寒是進行滑雪，滑冰和雪橇這樣的冬季運動的最佳時期。