Frost Descent

First Pentad - Jackals Sacrifice Animals: After jackals obtain food, they display the remainder; ancient people considered this a "sacrifice," indicating the appearance of severe killing qi.

Second Pentad - Grass and Trees Turn Yellow and Fall: Leaves of grass and trees turn yellow and fall, all things decline from prosperity toward dormancy and storage.

Third Pentad - Hibernating Insects All Lie Low: Hibernating insects crouch low in hiding, preparing for winter, as heaven and earth's qi becomes solemn.

Daily Routine: Sleep and rise early, add clothing in morning and evening, pay attention to keeping feet, waist and back warm; maintain appropriate humidity to prevent autumn dryness from harming the lungs.

Diet: Moisten dryness and nourish yin, warm tonification in moderation. Consume pears, lily bulbs, white fungus, sesame, lotus root, Chinese yam, and warm soups and congee; reduce spicy, dry-heating, cold raw foods and iced drinks.

Exercise: Moderate aerobic exercise and stretching, such as walking, tai chi, and stretching; mornings are cold, exercise after sunrise, with light sweating as the measure.

Mental Well-being: Autumn qi governs gathering inward; maintain calm heart and stable will; reading quietly, sitting meditation, and short outings to nature harmonize emotions to welcome cold and enter winter.

Eating Persimmons at Descent of Frost: Many regions have the saying "Eat persimmons at Descent of Frost, and you won't have a runny nose," symbolizing moistening dryness and protecting the throat.

Appreciating Maple Leaves and Climbing Heights: During the time when forests display their full autumn colors, people climb high and appreciate maple leaves, symbolizing prayers for safety and fortune.

Ancestor Worship and Prayers for Safety: Some regions worship ancestors and sweep graves around Descent of Frost, praying for safety during winter.

Winter Preparation and Cold Protection: Acquiring winter clothes and quilts, inspecting heating facilities, and making preparations to resist cold and welcome winter.

Descent of Frost follows Cold Dew and precedes Beginning of Winter. Its seasonal characteristics are more frequent cold air processes, appearance of first frost in some regions, and climate transitioning from cool to cold.

Astronomical Significance: On Descent of Frost day, the sun reaches 210° ecliptic longitude. The point of direct sunlight continues moving south, sunlight weakens, nights lengthen further, and the earth's surface radiates heat more significantly.

Agricultural Guidance: Regions wrap up autumn harvest while concluding autumn planting, monitor frost warnings and low-temperature rain and snow weather, implement frost protection for crops and facility insulation, and reinforce windbreaks.