In the ordinary life of Crayon Shin-chan

After New Year’s Day, the weather is getting colder day by day, time is passing by, and in the blink of an eye, it is the Lesser Cold.

Minor Cold is the 23rd solar term in the 5 solar terms, the 285th solar term in winter, the end of the Zi month and the beginning of the Chou month in the Ganzhi calendar. The Big Dipper points to Gui; the sun's ecliptic longitude is °;

The festival falls on January 1-5 of the Gregorian calendar every year. The cold weather accumulates over time, and Xiaohan means that the weather is cold but not extreme, indicating the solar term of temperature changes. The characteristic of Xiaohan is that it is cold, but not extreme.

During the Minor Cold, the sun is still in the southern hemisphere, and the heat in the northern hemisphere is still dissipating. The heat absorbed during the day is still less than the heat released at night, so the temperature in the northern hemisphere continues to drop. After the winter solstice, cold air frequently moves south, and the temperature continues to drop, reaching its lowest point during the Minor Cold and Major Cold of the year.

A folk saying goes: "The Minor Cold is the coldest time of the year, the weather is freezing and the ground is freezing, so cold that you shiver." This shows how cold the Minor Cold is. In the north, the Minor Cold is colder than the Great Cold, and there is a saying in the north that "the Minor Cold is colder than the Great Cold." But for some areas in the south, the lowest temperature of the year still occurs during the Great Cold.

Looking at the Xiaohan on the calendar, Mingxu was thinking a little. There seemed to be some custom on this day. Yes, it was Laba porridge, but the Laba porridge this time was different from that on Laba day!

In terms of ingredients, the ingredients of Xiaohan's Laba porridge are relatively simple, mainly yellow rice, white rice, glutinous rice, millet, peeled date paste, etc., while the ingredients of Laba's Laba porridge are richer. In addition to rice, millet, corn, coix seed, red dates, lotus seeds, peanuts, longan and other grains and dried fruits, there are also diced lamb and cream, and the porridge is sprinkled with red dates, longan, walnut kernels, raisins, melon seeds, green and red silk, etc.

In terms of preparation, the Laba porridge of Xiaohan is simple, mainly requiring all ingredients to be cooked. However, in the preparation of Laba porridge of Laba, beans and rice need to be soaked for about 4 to 1 hour, fruit ingredients such as red dates and peanuts need to be washed and set aside, and ingredients such as longan need to be washed and pitted.

The foods in the Laba porridge eaten during the Lesser Cold are all sweet and warm, and have the effects of regulating the spleen and stomach, tonifying the middle and replenishing Qi, nourishing Qi and blood, dispelling cold and strengthening the body, and promoting body fluid and quenching thirst.

In addition, there are La Festival and ice play. Minor Cold is the solar term of the twelfth month. As the ancients would hold the La Festival in December to worship all the gods, the twelfth month of the year was called the La Festival. The La Festival is one of the ancient sacrificial customs in my country, which was formed as early as the pre-Qin period. The "La Festival" has three meanings: one is to show that one has not forgotten the origin of oneself and one's family, and to express respect and remembrance for ancestors; the second is to offer sacrifices to hundreds of gods and thank them for their contributions to agriculture in the past year; the third is that people have worked hard all year round, and now the farming work has stopped, so they can have fun.

Ice play is a form of play that takes place in northern provinces of my country. When winter comes, the weather is quite cold. Sometimes the river surface is frozen thickly, and people use sleds to walk on the ice. In areas with particularly thick ice, there are often ice beds for pedestrians to play on. There are also people who race on the ice wearing ice skates, which was called ice play in ancient times.

Apart from the La Festival, the other two are worth a try. Laba porridge can be cooked by just buying the ingredients. Since the island country was incorporated into China, many ingredients have been introduced, so buying these is a small problem. As for ice play, it is estimated that only a few friends can play together. Going to skate on the lake, of course, you have to see if the lake water is frozen solid first.

"Mom, today is Minor Cold." Mingxu said while blinking at Meiya.

"...Xiaoxu, just say whatever you want to say. You still have to go to school soon." Meiya looked at Mingxu's expression and knew that he had something to express.

"According to Chinese customs, there is also a custom of eating Laba porridge on the day of Xiaohan." Mingxu said to Meiya.

"Oh, is that so? Is there any difference in the Laba porridge on this day?" Meisai and Guangzhi became curious after hearing what Mingxu said. Xiaoxin even opened his eyes wide because he heard that there was food.

"There are some differences, in the ingredients." Mingxu told a few people what he knew.

"In that case, let's eat this Laba porridge tonight! Meiya, I'll trouble you to buy the ingredients. I think these are common now." Guangzhi made the decision immediately after listening to it. The main reason was that he was tempted by the efficacy. It is inevitable for people in middle age to soak wolfberries in a thermos cup. He might as well try it if it works.

"Okay." Meiya nodded in agreement. As for traditional customs, they could still be followed. Not to mention that these ingredients were not expensive. Meiya, who had plenty of money on hand, was not panicking at all. She even planned to see if there were any discounts on those brand-name clothes.

"Okay, let's just deal with the daytime first! Dad, you're almost too late." Mingxu checked the time and looked at Guangzhi with some pity.

"? Ah, I'm going to be late!" Guangzhi picked up his bag and ran out.

"Hurry up, Xiaoxin, the car is coming." Mingxu then looked at Xiaoxin. Xiaoxin hurriedly stuffed the food in and then looked at Mingxu obediently.

After sending off the students to school, Meiya went out to buy things with a basket. Since she had agreed to do it, she just did it. With the book that Mingxu gave her, Meiya bought all the ingredients according to the instructions. She also had lunch at a family restaurant before going home.

When Mingxu and Xiaoxin were at school, after Xiaoxin revealed some customs, Fengjian and the others also became interested and said they would go back and let their mother try it. Then they agreed with Mingxu's invitation to go ice skating on the lake together. Mingxu even asked for leave from the owner of the museum. The owner agreed with this idea, saying that combining work and rest is best.

After school, the kids took Mingxu's copied materials to their mothers, changed their clothes and ran out in their mothers' confused eyes.

After everyone tested whether the ice surface of the park could bear the weight, they happily started playing on the ice. The sound spread throughout the neighborhood, attracting many children to play. Fortunately, the ice was frozen solid enough and there was no scene that spoiled the fun. Xiaoxin even chased after Fengjian and played with him. Mingxu and several others looked at the two of them with an indescribable look on their faces.

After playing around, it was getting late, so everyone said goodbye and went home. When Mingxu and Xiaoxin returned home, Meiya was already making Laba porridge, and the sweet aroma spread to every corner of the house.

"I am back!"

"You're back!"

"You guys are back." Meiya poked her head out from the kitchen: "Clean up and get ready for dinner. Dad will be here soon."

"Okay!" The two agreed, changed their clothes, washed up, and helped Meiya bring the things to the table. Soon, Guangzhi came home, and everyone enjoyed the Laba porridge during the Lesser Cold season together. The warmth flowed in their hearts, making them feel so satisfied.