冬季六个节气分别是立冬、小雪、大雪、冬至、小寒、大寒。

所谓“秋收冬藏”，万物在冬季闭藏，冬季是享受丰收、休养生息的季节，所以冬季节气的习俗大多都是与吃食和农闲生活相关。冬季除了要进补、休息，更加要注意防寒保暖。

一、The 24 Solar Terms丨立冬丨Start of Winter

Red leaves depart,stay line yellow flower

黄花独带露，红叶已随风。

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Start of Winter, the 19th solar term of the year and the first solar term of winter, which means winter is coming and crops harvested in autumn should be stored up.

中国**农历将一年分为24个节气。立冬，是一年中的第十九个节气，也是冬季的第一个节气。这意味着冬天即将来临，秋天收获的庄稼要储存起来。

Eating dumplings

吃饺子

A legend has it that at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD25-220), "Medical Saint" Zhang Zhongjing saved many people in Henan province from a typhoid epidemic and their ears from being frostbitten around Start of Winter.

相传在东汉末年“立冬”前后，“医圣”张仲景救了河南许多患伤寒和耳朵冻伤的人。

《立冬即事二首》

（宋）仇远

细雨生寒未有霜，庭前木叶半青黄。

小春此去无多日，何处梅花一绽香。

小雪，是二十四节气中的第二十个节气，也是冬季的第二个节气。

二、小雪如何英语表达？

The 24 Solar Terms丨小雪丨Slight Snow

小雪时间点在每年公历11月22日-23日之间。

Minor Snow refers to the timewhen it starts to snow, mostly in China's northern areas, and the temperature continues to drop.

“小雪”意味着中国北部大部分地区有初雪飘落，温度**走低。

《夜泊荆溪》

（唐）陈羽

小雪已晴芦叶暗，长波乍急鹤声嘶。

孤舟一夜宿流水，眼看山头月落溪。

三、The 24 Solar Terms丨大雪丨Major Snow

“大者，盛也。至此而雪盛矣。” 此时的降雪量并不一定是最大的，但降雪的几率在逐渐增大。

大雪时间点在每年公历12月6日-8日之间。

During Major Snow, the snow becomes heavy and begins to accumulate on the ground. The temperature drops significantly.

大雪时节，降雪量增大，地面开始积雪，温度下降显著。

民间素来有 “瑞雪兆丰年”（"A timely snow promises a good harvest."）的说法。待到白雪覆盖茫茫大地，越冬的害虫会被低温杀死。

四、The 24 Solar Terms丨冬至丨Winter Solstice

这是一个寒冷的节气——北半球全年白昼最短、夜晚最长的一天；“数九寒天”的开始，从冬至到小寒、大寒，是一年中最冷的时段。

There was a saying in ancient China, "The Winter Solstice is as significant as the Spring Festival."

中国古代有“冬至大如年”的说法。

The Winter Solstice is also known as the "**all New Year" when people maintain customs such as ancestor worship and family reunion.

冬至也被称为“小年”，人们在这一天**祭祖、合家团圆等习俗。

五、The 24 Solar Terms丨小寒丨Minor Cold

俗话说：小寒大寒，冻成冰团。一年中最为寒冷的时节已经到了。

During Minor Cold, most areas in China have entered the bittercold stage of winter. The ground and rivers are frozen. The coldair from the north moves southward continuously.

小寒时节，中国大部分地区已**寒冬。天寒地冻，河水结冰，北方的冷空气**向南推进。

浣溪沙

（宋）舒亶

燕外青楼已禁烟，小寒犹自薄胜绵。

画桥红日下秋千，惟有樽前芳意在。

应须沈醉倒花前。绿窗还是五更天。

六、The 24 Solar Terms丨大寒丨Major Cold

俗话说“过了大寒，又是一年。”

大寒是中国**二十四节气（the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms）中的第二十四个节气，也是农历年中的最后一个节气。和小寒Minor Cold对应，大寒的英语表达为Major Cold。

此时，窗外已是千里冰封，万里雪飘，而屋内人们则开始热火朝天地备年货，洒扫除尘，团圆的喜气为寒冷的冬天增添了不少暖意。

During Major Cold, as the cold current moves southward, the weather becomes bitterly cold.

大寒时节，由于寒潮向南**，天气**十分严寒。

大寒节气有哪些习俗呢？

Eating eight-treasure rice pudding 吃八宝饭

Eight-treasure rice pudding is a traditional festival food in Major Cold. It is famous all over the country, especially in regions south of the Yangtze River.

八宝饭，大寒节气习俗食物，流行于全国各地，江南尤盛。

Eating cold dispelling cake 吃消寒糕

Sticky rice, the cake's major ingredient, contains more sugar than rice, which can make people feel warm all over their bodies.

糯米是消寒糕的主要原料，其含糖量比大米高，可使人感到全身暖和。

Drinking stewed soup 喝炖汤

Residents in Nanjing of Jiangsu province prefer 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, wolfberry and black fungus.

在江苏南京，人们喜欢在大寒炖汤喝，可以让人从头暖到脚。人们将常用人参、枸杞和黑木耳炖老母鸡汤。

为了便于记忆24节气，劳动**创作了“24节气歌”。

春雨惊春清谷天

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