Minor Snow

First Pentad - Rainbows Hide and Are Not Seen: Yang qi hides away, yin prevails as dominant, the qi of heaven and earth do not interact, thus rainbows are not seen.

Second Pentad - Heaven's Qi Rises and Earth's Qi Descends: Heaven and earth become blocked, cold intensifies, clouds hang low, and frost and snow gradually increase.

Third Pentad - Blockage Forms Winter: The qi of closure and storage takes shape, all things on water and land tend toward hibernation, and winter signs become more evident.

Daily Routine: Pay attention to keeping head, neck, back, and feet warm, avoid wind and cold in the morning; engage in moderate outdoor activities during daylight hours, sleep early in the evening to help nourish yang.

Diet: Warm tonification to strengthen spleen and kidneys is appropriate; recommended foods include lamb, beef, walnuts, red dates, ginger, cinnamon bark, etc.; reduce raw, cold, and chilling foods, control pungent and dry-heating foods.

Exercise: Gentle and gradual practice, avoid excessive sweating; tai chi, baduanjin qigong, brisk walking are all suitable, with consistency being key.

Mental Well-being: Conserve spirit and calm the mind, reduce excessive expenditure; with a warm and tranquil heart, correspond to the season's "storing" nature.

Curing and Preserving: In Jiangnan region, there's a Minor Snow food custom of "curing and preserving," making cured fish and meat, drying winter provisions, preparing for the severe cold of the nine coldest periods.

Sunning Winter Items: On sunny days, open windows for ventilation, air out bedding to dispel dampness and prevent mold; in northern regions, people begin replacing with thicker quilts and cold-weather clothing.

Seasonal Flavors: Warming foods like glutinous rice wine, sweet potatoes, lamb soup, white pepper pork stomach soup become popular, symbolizing warmth and safety.

At the time of Minor Snow, the sun's direct position continues moving south, and sunshine and temperature in the Northern Hemisphere further decline. Compared to Beginning of Winter, Minor Snow shows more prominent yin-cold qi, with some northern regions entering the initial snow period.

Astronomical Definition: Minor Snow occurs when the sun reaches 240° ecliptic longitude. The subsequent solar terms are Major Snow, Winter Solstice, Minor Cold, and Major Cold, with cold intensity deepening progressively.

Climate Explanation: "Minor Snow" refers to the beginning of the snow season in terms of solar terms and phenology, and does not necessarily correspond to actual snowfall on that day in any given location; meteorological entry into winter is determined by continuous temperature standards.