腊八望年

林春山

“過了腊八就是年”。又到腊八，年又到了眼前。

说到年，我便不自觉地想起了雪。以往每每到了腊八节前后，雪便不断光顾烟台，一天一场小雪三天一场大雪成了生活中的常规，尤其靠近年关时节，雪便更加频繁起来，似乎没有雪年就没有了趣味，雪是为年而来的。每年“小雪”节气的时候，雪是一定会前来应景的，稀稀落落的雪花从遥远的天空中缓缓地飘落，生怕惊动了大地，惊动了世间万物，蹑手蹑脚，试探着落在孑然孤独的树枝上，茕茕孑立的枯草上，落寞寂寥的屋顶上，像柳絮般轻飘飘地游荡着。

“大雪”节气到来的时候，雪花会毫不客气地漫天飞舞，瞬间给大地盖上一层漂亮的羽绒被。漫天飞雪有如天女散花，让人心旷神怡，在雪中漫步别有一番情趣，在雪中追逐更像一个童话，充实了童年，烂漫了记忆……

过了“冬至”，到了腊八，辛苦的农人们解放了，刻苦的学子们放松了，雪花也更加放肆了，呼朋唤伴成群结队地蜂拥而至，整个世界成了它们的天下，山川、湖泊、河床……雪花们拥挤着，用美丽的舞姿愉悦着勤劳的人们，用洁白的身躯热烈地拥抱着世间万物，用纯情靓丽了山河的容貌。

过了腊八，年一天天逼近，雪花也一天天增加，人们的心情也一天天激越。往往一夜间雪便不请自来。清晨，拉开门，天地一笼统，琼楼玉宇，满目银色，雪花依然不停地飞舞，袅袅炊烟开心地与雪花耳鬓厮磨着，人们兴奋得手舞足蹈。欢舞的雪花里渐渐地有了烟火味，有了鞭炮味，有了喜庆味，年味愈来愈浓了。

腊八是伴着雪花望年的，因了雪花腊八才有了韵致，因了雪花年才更有年的味道。雪越下越大，积雪越来越厚，爱雪的人不舍得将雪全部清除，只是把院子清理出一个可以行走的地方即可，街道也如此。从腊八到过年这几天，街上远远看去到处都是纵横交错，一条条小道好像一条条战壕通向各家各户，那时农村没有自来水，全村只有一眼或两眼公用水井，一条深深的雪壕通向井台，人们担着水桶去水井挑水，那情景，那场面，让人激动，让人感慨，至今难以忘怀。

那时候人们的生活虽然困顿，可心情却是愉悦的。雪地里玩游戏，打雪仗，激情满满，笑声连连。又到腊八，年又到了眼前，人们期盼已久的雪也飘洒而下，安慰着人们热切的心。

腊八望年，有了雪的陪伴腊八才会情趣盎然，年才会过得有滋有味。

Just as the saying goes， “when the Laba Festival comes， the Spring Festival is not afar.” With the coming of the Laba Festival again， the Spring Festival is drawing nearer and nearer.

Speaking of the Spring Festival， I think of snow unconsciously. In the past years， snow would visit Yantai constantly around the Laba Festival. A light snowfall every day and a heavy snowfall every three days became a routine in daily life. Snowfalls became even more frequent as the Spring Festival approached. It seems that the Spring Festival without snow would be no fun at all and the snow comes just for the Spring Festival. Snow is sure to come around the solar term of “Minor Snow” every year. The sparse snowflakes drift slowly down from the distant sky as if they are afraid of disturbing anything on the earth. They creep silently and fall tentatively upon the lonely branches， dry grass， and rooftops， wandering around lightly like willow catkins.