Minor Snow
The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Minor Snow, (Chinese: 小雪), the 20th solar term of the year, begins this year on Nov 22 and ends on Dec 6.
Minor Snow refers to the time when it starts to snow, mostly in China’s northern areas, and the temperature continues to drop.
An ancient Chinese book about plants explains that “in Minor Snow, the weather is cold and it is going to snow, while the earth is not frozen enough and the snow is light.” The temperature in most areas in the north drops to zero degrees and below. Meanwhile, in the lower and middle reaches of the Yellow River, the average time of the first snow falls during the Minor Snow solar term. The snow is light and frozen at night, but melts quickly during the day.
Wearing hats and scarves
In China, starting in Minor Snow, the wind blows from the northeast a lot. Because it’s still not bitterly cold, many people do not wear hats or scarves yet. In fact, according to an old Chinese saying, “the head is the place where all passages of the body gather”. It’s sensible to keep one’s head warm.
On a whole, it is getting colder. Stay warm.
