冬至是中国传统的二十四节气中极为重要的节日。民间开始用“数九歌”（又叫“九九消寒歌”）和《九九消寒图》来记述冬天的脚步。消寒图有多种，或九宫格或一支素梅，总以八十一为数，一日画一数，全部涂完正好是冬去春来的日子了。

The Winter Solstice is a critical one in Chinese lunar 24 solar terms. People began to notice winter coming by using "The Nine Periods"（also called as"Nine Periods of winter Folk Rhyme"）and"Nine Periods of Winter Painting". There were a variety of winter paintings such as nine patches, or a branch of plum blossoms. There were totally eighty-one in the painting. People painted a number every day, when they finished the painting, the winter wended and spring came.