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.

中国传统农历将一年分为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。

Beginning of winter

冬天的“开始”

In ancient times, the Chinese people took the Start of Winter to be the beginning of the 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 in every area doesn’t begin at the same time.

古时候，中国人把立冬当作冬天的开始。事实上，从气象学的角度来看，立冬并不是冬天的开始。每年气候状况都不大一样，所以冬天的开始也会有很大的不同。由于中国幅员辽阔，各地的冬天并非在同一时间开始。

立冬之后，便是北方初雪时节的降临。对南方而言，“（农历）八月暖，九月温，十月还有小阳春”。    

Welcoming the winter in ancient times

古时候迎接冬天的仪式感

The four beginnings of the seasons were important festivals in ancient times. Before the Start of Winter, an ancient emperor would take a shower and eat no more meat. On that day, the emperor would lead his officials to the suburbs and perform the ceremony of "welcoming the winter."

四季的开始，在古代都是非常重要的节日。在立冬前，皇帝会沐浴，戒肉食。当天，皇帝会带领官员到近郊举行“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.

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。

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 a "dumpling". Today there is still a saying that goes "Eat dumplings on Start of Winter Day or your ears will be frostbitten".

他煮羊肉、辣椒和草药来驱寒暖身。他把这些原料包在面皮里，做成耳朵的形状。从那时起，人们学会了做这种食物，成为了众所周知的“饺子”。至今仍有“立冬不端饺子碗，冻掉耳朵没人管”这样的说法。

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