Today, we welcome the 19th of the 24 solar terms – Beginning of Winter.
今天，我们迎来了二十四节气中第十九个节气——立冬。
立冬是冬季的第一个节气，也是中国传统二十四节气（the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms）中的第十九个节气。立，是“建立、开始”的意思；冬有“终了”的意思。所以，立冬至，则冬日始，秋收作物要储藏起来了。
立冬的英语表达很简单，即Beginning of Winter，或Start of Winter。
In fact, the Start of Winter is not the beginning of winter in terms of meteorology. The climate every year is different, so the beginning of winter could be quite different. And with the vast territory of China, winter time starts at different times in different areas.
事实上，从气象学上讲，立冬并非冬天的开始。每年的气候都是不一样的，因而冬天开始的时间也会有所差异。由于中国幅员辽阔，每个地区的冬季也不会在同一时间开始。
立冬有哪些习俗呢？Let’s check it out.
Beginning of winter or not 立冬是否是冬天的开始？
In ancient times, the Chinese people took the Start of Winter to be the beginning of the winter. However, in fact, the Start of Winter is not the beginning of winter in terms of meteorology. The climate every year is different, so the beginning of winter could be quite different. And with the vast territory of China, winter of every area doesn’t begin at the same time.
在古代，中国人把立冬当作冬天的开始。然而事实上，从气象学的角度来看，冬天的开始并不都是立冬。每年的气候都不一样，所以冬天的开始可能会很不一样。而且中国幅员辽阔，各地的冬天并不是同时开始的。
Welcoming the winter in ancient times 古代迎冬
The four beginnings of the seasons were important festivals in ancient times. Before the Start of Winter, the ancient emperor would take a shower and have no more meat. On that day, the emperor would lead his officials to the suburbs and perform the ceremony of "welcoming the winter."
在古代四季的开始是一个重要的节日。在立冬之前，皇帝通常会洗个澡，不再吃肉食。在这一天，皇帝会带领他的官员到郊区，举行“迎冬”仪式。
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.
传说在东汉末年(公元25-220年)，“医圣”张仲景救了许多河南人，让他们免于流行伤寒，帮助他们在初冬时耳朵免于冻伤。
He cooked mutton, hot peppers, and herbs to dispel the cold and increase body heat. He wrapped these ingredients into a dough skin and made them into an ear shape. Since then, people have learned to make the food which became known as “dumpling”. Today there is still a saying that goes “Eat dumplings on Start of Winter Day, or your ears will be frostbitten”.
他通过煮羊肉、辣椒和一些草药来给大家驱寒，增加体温。他把这些配料包在一个面皮里，做成耳朵形状。从那时起，人们就学会了包饺子。今天仍然有一个说法，“在初冬吃饺子，否则你的耳朵会被冻伤”。
Yifan Festival of Mulam Ethnic Minority 仫佬(mù lǎo)族依饭节
Yifan Festival is one of the most important festivals of the Mulam ethnic minority in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. It is held around the Start of Winter every three to five years and lasts one to three days. The festival includes inviting the god, offering sacrifices, asking the god to enjoy the sacrifice, singing praise of the god, drinking wine with the blood of chicken, and sending the god off.
依饭节是广西壮族自治区仫佬少数民族最重要的节日之一。该节日大约每三到五年举行一次，持续一到三天。这个节日的项目包括邀神、献祭、请神享受献祭、唱赞美神的歌、用喝鸡血酒、奉神而去。
“Nourishing the winter” “养冬”
On the first day of Start of Winter, there is a custom, “nourishing the winter”, in Southeast China in places such as Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan provinces. To prepare for the oncoming cold winter, people there like to eat high-calorie food such as chicken, duck, beef, mutton, and fish, which are usually stewed with the four Chinese medicines: angelica, ligusticum wallichii, Chinese herbaceous peony and rehmannia glutinosa libosch, to enhance the effectiveness of the nourishment.
在立冬的第一天，在中国东南部的福建、广东和台湾等省份有一个习俗，叫“养冬”。为了应对即将到来的寒冷冬天，那里的人们喜欢吃高热量的食物，如鸡、鸭、牛肉、羊肉和鱼，这些食物通常与当归、川芎、芍药、地黄四味中药一起炖，以提高营养的功效。
The history of Shaoxing rice wine dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It is a tradition in Shaoxing to begin making rice wine around the Beginning of Winter.
绍兴黄酒的记载最早可以追溯至春秋战国时期，在当地有立冬时节开始酿酒的传统习俗。
The period from the Beginning of Winter to the Beginning of Spring is known as “winter brewing”. The Shaoxing people believe that the low temperatures in winter render water clearer and more refreshing, resulting in sweeter and tastier wine.
从立冬到第二年立春的这段时期被称为“冬酿”，绍兴人认为冬季的低气温能让水体更清冽，酿出来的酒水更清甜可口。
Beginning of Winter brings the year to an end, which is a season of storage and hibernation. In ancient times, the slack time in winter was the best time to study. This winter, might as well let us learn the traditional Chinese culture together, take the pen, and precipitate time.
立冬让一年进入尾声，是蓄藏和蛰伏的季节。在古代，冬季的农闲时光是用来学习的最好时机。这个冬天，不妨让我们一起学习中华传统文化，提笔执卷，沉淀时光。
（文/关倩倩，图/关倩倩，编辑/苏秀娟，审核/王俊华）
