Since during winter animals were penned, people stayed indoors, crops didn't grow, etc. , --to know that winter was half over and on its way out was a time of celebration.

因为冬天家畜都进圈了、人们待在室内很少外出、庄稼也停止了生长…，当知道冬天已经过半、并且马上就将结束的时候，就应该举行庆祝活动。

youdao

Spreading mulch before the ground has frozen may attract small animals searching for a warm place to spend the winter.

VOA: special.2009.06.30

He stayed in Seth's cabin and hunted animals every day of that long lonely winter.

VOA: special.2010.06.26

Snowfall helps to protect plants and some wild animals from cold, winter weather.

VOA: special.2010.01.05

Its most recent initiative was a festival celebrating transhumance, the ancient custom of moving animals between winter and summer pastures.

ECONOMIST: Natural style

Between the summer of 1999 and early 2002, an unprecedented series of meteorological disasters took place: great swathes of Mongolia were hit by drought, and by different types of zud, winter phenomena that prevent animals feeding either because of ice crusts or heavy snow.

ECONOMIST: Nomadism in Mongolia

They have not been able to produce enough high quality silage to feed the animals through the winter, resulting in a big rise in winter-feed costs.

BBC: Devon farmers 'despair' over rain and poor harvest