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Calendar for Chinese 24 Solar Terms: Minor Cold

By Gu Yutong, Xian Jiangnan, Sheng Chuyi, Peng Yukai (People's Daily Online) 10:55, January 05, 2023

According to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, China ushers in its 23rd solar term Minor Cold (Chinese: 小寒) on Jan. 5 this year. This solar term welcomes China's coldest days, known as the Sanjiu period.

Different regions of China have their own particular ways to welcome Minor Cold. The Cantonese usually eat glutinous rice mixed with peanuts, fried preserved pork and sausage in the morning. In Nanjing, vegetable rice is more popular, accompanied by aijiaohuang (a kind of Chinese cabbage), sausage and salted duck. In Tianjin, it's customary to eat huangyacai, a different variety of Chinese cabbage, rich in vitamins A and B.

Similar to Winter Solstice, it's vital to stay warm and healthy and pay special attention to the kidneys, spleen and stomach. Besides doing more winter exercise to keep the immune system strong and body healthy, doctors suggest eating foods that are easy to digest at regular intervals. Mutton hot pot, fried chestnuts, and roasted sweet potatoes are all popular options.

During this solar term, Chinese people begin preparing for the Spring Festival by writing Spring Festival couplets, making paper decorations for window decoration, and buying lanterns and firecrackers.