“XiaoHan” is the 23rd solar term（节气） of the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms. In English, we call it “Minor Cold” or “Lesser Cold”.

When Minor Cold comes, most areas in China get really cold. The ground is frozen, and rivers are covered with ice. The cold air from the north keeps coming down south, making the weather even colder.

During Minor Cold, as the Spring Festival is getting closer, people start to get busy with the festival preparations. They write Spring Festival couplets（对联） and cut paper-cuts（剪纸） for window decoration. They also go to the market to buy New Year pictures, lanterns（灯笼）, and firecrackers（鞭炮）.

One of the important things in this time is having Laba porridge. In Beijing, the Laba porridge is made with great care. There are more than 20 kinds of things like red dates, lotus seeds（莲子）, walnuts（核桃）, chestnuts（栗子）, longans（桂圆）, grapes, gingko nuts（白果/银杏果）, red beans, peanuts and so on mixed with white rice. This yummy porridge not only makes people feel warm but also brings a strong festival feeling. People like to eat the porridge with their families and look forward to the coming Spring Festival and a new year full of hope and happiness.