Customs of Daxue (Major Snow)

2018-12-04

With the advent of Daxue, it is customary for Chinese people to cure meat, throw snowballs and enjoy snow sights.

Curing Meat

Among older generations of Nanjingers, there goes a jingle to the effect that "Xiaoxue (the Minor Snow) is the best time to cure vegetables while Daxue (the Major Snow) is the best time to salt meat." As Daxue arrives, every household gets busy making "cured food". Whenever this time comes, your views are just a constant source of cured meat, ham, fish and other food hung in the windows, creating an eye-catching sight.

Throwing Snowballs and Enjoying Snow Sights

If it snows hard by chance on the day, people would feel in the mood for having a snowball fight or enjoying the beautiful snow sights, despite of the freezing cold. As a Chinese proverb says, "Xiaoxue freezes the soil and Daxue freezes the rivers". With the arrival of Daxue, rivers get frozen, and people can play around or go skating on the ice to their hearts' content.

Nourishing Kidney and Keeping Warm

"Nourishing kidney and keeping warm" is an important principle of the wellness regime around Daxue. Only strong kidney energy can help resist the assault of the severe temperature. In dietary terms, we should eat more animal food and beans to replenish vitamins and mineral salts. For example, dog, mutton, goose, duck, soybean, walnut, chestnut, fungus, sesame, sweet potato, radish and such are good choices for winter days. Meanwhile, we should go easy on salty foods. If not, the strength of heart will grow weak due to the overmuch kidney water, which is bad for heath. And some bitter foods, such as vinegar, tea, orange, pork liver, lamb liver and turnip, are perfect options to nourish the heart and strengthen the kidney.

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