The Chinese traditional solar term Xiaohan 小寒 started on 5th January for most of the world but is celebrated this year in China on the 6th.
The name of this solar term is translated into English as ‘Slight Cold’, ‘Lesser Cold’ or ‘Moderate Cold’, although that name may be somewhat misleading when we consider its real meaning. According to tradition, this solar term and the one that follows it (the ‘Great Cold’, Dahan 大寒, starting on 20th January) are the coldest of the year. However, the cold weather of the Xiaohan solar term is relatively moderate compared to the extreme cold of Dahan.
Since this part of the year is a quiet one for farming, a major activity during these two solar terms is preparing for the upcoming Spring or Chinese New Year festival, the most important celebration of the year. Other equally important activities are eating food containing more yang energy (in line with the theories of traditional Chinese medicine) and eating wholesome and hearty meals. Among the favourite dishes enjoyed at this time is the famous Laba Congee, made from nuts, cereals and dried fruits.
The beginning of the Xiaohan solar term coincides with the onset of the solar month, which belongs to the earthly branch chou 丑 and is popularly known as the Month of the Ox. This month will last until February 3.
This is a good opportunity to clarify the difference between the traditional Chinese calendar’s solar and lunar months.
We must bear in mind, first of all, that throughout the People’s Republic of China, the daily calendar is Gregorian, the same as that used in Western countries and other parts of the world. But for specific purposes, other calendars are used, namely the traditional solar and lunar calendars.
The Chinese solar months are not substantially different from the Western zodiac, since both are based on the ecliptic, an imagined line in the sky that marks the sun’s apparent path against the background of the stars throughout the year.
In Western tradition, the astrological year begins around 21st March, when the sun is at zero degrees on the ecliptic, the beginning of the sign of Aries on the zodiac. This point corresponds to the Vernal or Spring Equinox (for northern latitudes).
The Chinese solar calendar follows the same reasoning, with a difference of around 45 degrees of the ecliptic. Instead of 21st March, the Chinese believe that the solar year begins 45 days earlier, around 4th February, corresponding to the beginning of the solar term Lichun 立春.
This difference relates to how the two cultural traditions view the beginning of spring, which both consider the real beginning of the astrological year. While European tradition sees the Spring Equinox as the beginning of the season, Chinese tradition believes that the equinox corresponds not to the beginning of spring but to its culmination.
The Chinese solar months (each of which corresponds to one of the 12 terrestrial branches, popularly known by the related zodiacal animal signs) are distinct from the lunar months, which always begin on the day of a new moon and can total 12 or 13 each year.
Nowadays, the solar months are largely used in divinatory practices. At the same time, the lunar calendar is closely linked to the dates of festive occasions, including the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, which always occurs on a new moon day and, consequently, at the beginning of a new lunar month – the first of the year.
You can find more about this in our entry on Chinese Solar Terms and the Zodiac in the CHINESE WAY section of this website.
The Month of the Ox is the third of the three months of Chinese winter (dongtian 冬天). Of the five Chinese ‘elements’ (wuxing 五行), Water, with a yin connotation, strongly dominates the winter season, but in the third month, its power weakens, and Earth, a neutral element (not yang or yin), develops a more substantial presence. In this third month, the winter season is winding down, preparing to give way to spring at the beginning of February, according to the traditional solar calendar.
The Ox, the Snake and the Rooster form a large triangle in the eastern zodiac, since the same element (Metal, jin 金) circulates between them, linking them with a bond of familiarity. The Ox’s ‘secret friend’ is the Rat. Since the Ox and the Goat occupy opposite points in the zodiac, they are likely to have a challenging relationship.