Next, if you really want to impress your friends, you need to get poetic. Luckily for you, China is famous for its poetry and boasts generations of poets who have turned their attention to the cold, fluffy stuff. In traditional Chinese poetry (just like in English) simile is fairly common. Also, because lines in poetry are usually limited to five to seven characters, descriptions need to be concise and short. Therefore, there already exist many social media-ready poetic words and phrases that Chinese people have used over the ages to describe snow. We've divided them into some common themes.
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With its white color and cold, translucent texture, snow has long been associated with white jade in China. As well as being one of the country's favorite ornaments, people also believe that it represents purity, dignity, and royalty.
玉沙 yù shā - Jade sand: The fine, powdery snow that looks like shavings or sand from jade.
碎瓊 suì qióng - Scattered jade: Inspired by the color and the sound when you step in snow.
玉樹瓊枝 yù shù qióng zhī - The jade branches on the jade tree: Used to describe trees covered in snow.積素 jī sù - Piled-up silk: Used to describe snow that has accumulated on the ground.
銀裝素裹 yín zhuāng sù guǒ - Dress in silver silk: Describes a scene in which the entire world seems to be covered with snow.
寒酥 hán sū - Cold and crunchy: A way to describe snow's texture.
漫天飛雪 màn tiān fēi xuě - Flying snow covered the entire sky: Used to express how big a snow flurry is.
白雪皚皚 báixuě ái』ái - The snow is white and shiny: Used particularly in regard to snow that is heavy enough to cover the ground.
鵝毛大雪 é máo dà xuě - The snowflake falls like a goose's feather: A way to describe the size of the snowflake.Snow also has deeper metaphysical meanings in Chinese culture, especially when it falls right before Chinese New Year. The expression 瑞雪兆豐年 ruì xuě zhào fēng nián "Snow is a good omen for a prosperous year ahead," does not just embody a whimsical wish from ancient Chinese farmers for a good harvest but has scientific underpinnings: snow that arrives at this critical moment will kill the eggs and the larva of pests in waiting, and also provide water for the crops once the spring arrives.
Even though the majority of us now live in cities, and may never have a chance to grow our own crops, it's still a beautiful sight to see snow fall on the eve of Chinese New Year. Now you'll be able to put the event in words.
Image: Uni You, Shiguiren, Xuehua, Zeus Zou, Anna Pellegrin Hartley
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