臘

1. Material: Cured or dried meat, specifically that preserved with salt or air-dried during winter.

2. Temporal/Ritual: The twelfth lunar month; the year-end sacrifice (//lajì// 臘祭), a rite of completion and gratitude marking the close of the agricultural cycle.

Distinguish between the glyph's use as a material provision (culinary, economic, or physical offerings) versus its use as a temporal anchor (the end of the year/twelfth month) or a specific ritual event (typically when paired with terms for ancestors, spirits, or sacrifice 祭).

Variants include U+814A and U+81C8.

The 月 component serves as the semantic indicator for 肉 (meat).

Avoid translating 臘 simply as "December" or as a secular "year-end party." In ancient contexts, it denotes a solemn religious boundary and a transition between years.