Counting down the lengthy winter
Before smartphones and apps, Chinese people got through the winter with games or activities. One of the most popular games was called "winter-killing painting." (Photo/CGTN)
These paintings were usually made up of nine characters, which read like a sentence from a poem. Each character had nine strokes, and by coloring one stroke each day starting with the Winter Solstice, the calligraphic writing would be finished in 81 days, just in time to welcome in spring.
Some of the paintings have plum blossoms, where the 81 petals replace the Chinese characters. People would even choose the color they used each day by the weather conditions, so when the painting was completed, it would serve as a memory of the distinct winter days.
But nowadays, instead of staying at home all day long, people are also encouraged to spend more time doing sports outdoors.
The chill shouldn't be a reason for anyone to be confined at home. Like British poet Percy Bysshe Shelly once asked: "If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?"
