The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Major Snow (Chinese: 大雪), the 21st solar term of the year, falls this year on Dec.7. During Major Snow, the snow becomes heavy and accumulate on the ground, the temperature drops significantly.

Here are several things you should know about Major Snow.

Appreciating Wintersweet
Wintersweet usually blossoms in mid-to-late December in some southern cities of China, and sometimes it even blooms earlier. Wintersweet originated in China and is highly appreciated in Chinese culture for its endurance in severe winters. With pine and bamboo, it is referred to as one of the Three Durable Plants of Winter.

Eating Lamb
Lamb is one of the foods chosen by Chinese people during the Major Snow. It is excellent for nourishing the body, promoting blood circulation and protecting against the cold—people in Chongqing like having potted or stewed lamb soup with their families and friends. Nanjing residents like to stew the lamb with yams or wolfberries to make it more nutritious.

Eating Congee
Warm congee could help increase heat and nourish the body in cold weather. In China, there is a custom to eat red bean congee on the first day of the Winter Solstice and mixed congee on the eighth day of the last month of the lunar year. In addition, there are other congees such as wheat porridge, sesame congee, radish congee and poria cocos congee.

(By Yang Jiming/Qi Qian)