Counting Nine Cold Days Pinyin:

[shǔ jiǔ hán tiān]

Counting Nine Cold Days , "Counting Nine", also known as "Winter Nine Nine Days", is a Han Chinese folk festival in winter. "Counting nine" from the annual 'winter solstice' day to start counting, every nine days as a unit. There are many customs of "Counting Nine", and the "Nine-Nine Song" is the most widespread and longstanding. In traditional Han Chinese culture, nine is the extreme number, which is the biggest, the most, the most long-lasting concept. Nine nine or eighty-one is the "biggest but" number. Ancient Han Chinese people believe that after the winter solstice of nine nine eighty-one days, spring has certainly come. In ancient times, especially in the northern region of the Han Chinese working people, warmth and warmth of the conditions of the future generation of simple lack of winter is also seen as a threat to the cold and punishment of the freezing cold and fear, a direct impact on the people's mood, and even feel that the winter is inexplicably and wonderfully long. At that time, the Han Chinese people in order to survive the long winter, so invented the "counting nine" method of pastime, in order to pass the time to ease the psychological crisis under the threat of winter. At that time, counting nine around the family was also regarded as a realm of freedom.