小寒连大吕，，欢鹊垒新巢。今天23时5分，，我们迎来24骨气中倒数第2个骨气
：：小寒。一个“小”字，，似乎将严冬的寒气化解了很多。但其实，，一年中最寒冷的日子已经到来。

雪飘寒重。早晨的窗户已凝起了冰花，，屋檐下的冰凌迅速成长，，宛如一颗颗晶莹的钟乳石，，在晨曦中熠熠闪光。最冷的季节，，却处处蕴藏着朝气。北方不少河、湖变身为天然的活动场。人们滑冰、滑雪，，在雪窖冰天里大展拳脚，，乐观畅达。对天然变动敏感的飞鸟，，也起头萌动，，雁思北乡，，鹊始筑巢，，连山林中的雉鸡也鸣叫起来，，霜雪满天的冬，，慢慢透出了春的声音。

小寒季节，，腊梅也悄然开放，，那一抹鹅黄随风摇曳，，给凛凛的世界增添了活力。

进入腊月以来，，年味渐浓，，人们起头写春联、剪窗花，，陆续为春节做筹备，，日子便这般热烈起来。

小寒虽寒，，望春则暖。愿你始终维持对生涯的酷爱，，拥抱冬日的暖阳，，罗致力量，，不休前行！！！

Minor Cold

Minor Cold is the 23^rd solar term of the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms. For most areas of China, it marks the start of the coldest days of the year. This  year’s Minor Cold starts on Jan 5. Many Chinese sayings use the weather and climate situation during Minor Cold to predict the weather in the following spring.

Still, bitter cold can’t prevent people from enjoying their lives. Here are some things that help us to stay warm during Minor Cold.

Stocking up for New Year

During Minor Cold, people always start stocking New Years goods, which include Spring Festival couplets, New Year pictures, paper-cuts for window decoration, fire crackers, incense and lanterns.

Mutton hot pot, chestnuts and baked sweet potato

Mutton hot pot, chestnuts and baked sweet potato are three recommended foods for Minor Cold. According to traditional Chinese medicine theories, people need to eat food that contains more yang energy to prevent cold from harming their organs. The yang energy in the three types of food is strengthened through their method of cooking: boiling, stir frying and baking.

Beef, sesame, walnuts, almonds and raisins are also good choices for Minor Cold.

Eating Laba porridge

Another important traditional food for Minor Cold is Laba porridge. It is made from more than 20 kinds of nuts, cereals and dried fruits. Local people in Beijing often cook Laba porridge on the night of the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month. After one night’s slow simmering, all the ingredients melt into the porridge in the morning of the eighth day, becoming a warm delicacy to enjoy on cold days.（起源
：：人民日报微信，，英文翻译 ASP公司 程成）