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The characteristics and customs of the Start of Winter

2025-11-07

The Start of Winter marks the beginning of winter, characterized by a sudden drop in temperatures, a widening temperature difference between the north and the south, a decrease precipitation, and fog and frost.

Today is the Start of Winter

Climate characteristics: accelerated cooling, significant differences between the north and the south
Start of Winter is the first solar term of winter, when the sun reaches longitude 225°, the radiation in the northern hemisphere suddenly decreases, but the residual heat on the surface still remains, and the initial period often presents "small spring".3 The core climate characteristics are as follows:

Cooling is rapid: Frequent cold air activities, the most cold wave processes, and the speed of temperature drop ranks first in the year, the "the first day of winter, the water is cold by three points" describes this feature.
The temperature difference between the north and the south is great: The average temperature in north can drop to -10℃ (such as Mohe), while the south is still above 20℃ (such as Hainan), and the temperature can reach 30-50℃.
Frequent fog and frost: The first frost appears in the north from Qinling to the northern part of the south of Yangtze River, and the city is prone to form thick fog due to the accumulation of pollutants.

Traditional customs: offering sacrifices to ancestors to welcome the winter, and nourishing diet
Start of Winter, as one of the "Four Seasons and Solar Terms", has customs that combine a sense of ritual with practicality, which can be summarized as the three major categories of "Sacrifice, Nourish, Eat":

Ritual Activities
Offering sacrifices to ancestors and welcoming the winter: The emperor led his officials to offer sacrifices to the winter god "Xuanmí" in the northern suburbs, and the people worshipped their ancestors to pray for a good harvest. During the Han and Wei dynasties, there was already a of "bestowing clothes for the winter".
Winter celebration banquets: known as "worshipping the winter" in ancient times, during the Song D, people would celebrate by wearing new clothes and celebrating with each other. Some parts of modern society still retain innovative forms such as winter swimming.

📝 Health Preservation Key Points
Winter tonifying principle: In the north, it is suitable for warm tonification (lamb, dumplings, and in the south, it focuses on nourishing yin (chicken, duck, medicinal cuisine). In Fujian and other places, it emphasizes "warming andredging meridians", and recommends Angelica Sinensis and ginger lamb soup7.
Living suggestions: Go to bed early and get up late to "hide Yang Qi", pay attention to head and neck warmth, and avoid excessive sweating18.

✅ Summary: The dual meaning of the Start of Winter
The Start of is not only a node of the natural sequence (temperature turns cold, all things are stored), but also a carrier of cultural heritage (offering sacrifices to ancestors, dietary supplement). Its customs are deeply bound to climatic characteristics, such as eating dumplings in the north to cope with the severe cold, and eating sugarcane in the south toize, reflecting the wisdom of "harmony between man and nature"3.

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The last solar term of autumn: Frost's Descent