Beginning of Winter: yang returns, nature rests
Beginning of Winter is the 19th solar term among the 24 solar terms, and the first solar term of winter. It occurs annually between November 7-8 on the Gregorian calendar, when the sun reaches 225° ecliptic longitude. At this time, weather transitions from cool to cold, all things shift from growth toward dormancy and storage, and agricultural work enters the winter rest and maintenance phase.
The "Collection and Explanation of the Seventy-two Pentads of the Monthly Ordinances" states: "Li (beginning) means the start of establishment; dong (winter) means the end, when all things are stored away." Beginning of Winter is not only a seasonal transition marker, but also embodies the life wisdom of "nourishing according to the season" and "storing inward to cultivate essence."
First Pentad - Water Begins to Freeze: Water surfaces begin to form thin ice, and frost-cold intensifies.
Second Pentad - Earth Begins to Freeze: The land gradually freezes, earth qi stores inward, and plant roots lie dormant.
Third Pentad - Pheasants Enter Great Waters and Become Mirages: Pheasants disappear into wetlands; ancient people believed they transformed into water vapor mirages, symbolizing heavy yin qi.
Daily Routine: Sleep early and rise late, pay attention to keeping head, neck, back, and feet warm; ventilate rooms to prevent dryness, increase humidity moderately.
Diet: Warm tonification to nourish yang, strengthen spleen and protect kidneys; choose lamb, beef, goji berries, ginger and scallions, longan, etc.; reduce raw, cold, pungent, and cooling foods.
Exercise: Combine movement and stillness, avoid excessive sweating; gentle exercises like tai chi, walking, and baduanjin qigong are suitable.
Mental Well-being: Conform to "storing inward," calm the spirit and conserve qi, reduce unnecessary expenditure, and build reserves for winter.
Winter Tonification Food Customs: Folk saying goes "Tonify at Beginning of Winter, fill the empty mouth." Popular warming foods include lamb soup, lamb spine hotpot, beef offal soup, etc. In the north, people eat dumplings to dispel cold.
Winter Celebration Rituals: In old times called "celebrating winter" or "greeting winter," people comforted relatives and friends, symbolizing warm mutual care and enduring the cold winter together.
Agricultural Transition: Fields lie fallow in winter, dredge channels and maintain embankments, inspect and repair farm tools, prepare for next year's spring plowing; at home, add clothing and prepare materials for cold protection and warmth.
Beginning of Winter is the starting point of winter. At this time, the sun's direct position continues moving south, sunshine hours and solar altitude angle further decrease in the Northern Hemisphere, and cold intensifies gradually.
Astronomical Definition: Beginning of Winter occurs when the sun reaches 225° ecliptic longitude. The subsequent solar terms in sequence are Minor Snow, Major Snow, Winter Solstice, Minor Cold, and Major Cold.
Solar Terms and Climate: The "Beginning of Winter" solar term represents the "start of winter" in calendrical and phenological terms, which does not equate to the meteorological "entry into winter" in various regions, the latter being determined by continuous daily average temperature standards.
