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

雪飘寒重。清晨的窗户已凝起了冰花，屋檐下的冰凌迅速生长，好似一颗颗晶莹的钟乳石，在晨曦中熠熠闪光。最冷的时节，却处处蕴藏着生机。北方不少河、湖变身为天然的运动场。人们溜冰、滑雪，在冰天雪地里大展拳脚，乐观畅达。对自然变化敏感的飞鸟，也开始萌动，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，渐渐透出了春的声响。

小寒时节，腊梅也悄然绽放，那一抹鹅黄随风摇曳，给凛冽的天地增添了活力。

进入腊月以后，年味渐浓，人们开始写春联、剪窗花，陆续为春节做准备，日子便这般热闹起来。

小寒虽寒，望春则暖。愿你始终保持对生活的热爱，拥抱冬日的暖阳，汲取力量，不断前行！

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.（来源：人民日报微信，英文翻译 ASP公司 程成）