1. Climate & Natural Phenomena
Lidong (Start of Winter) is the 19th solar term, occurring around November 7 to 8. It marks the official transition from late autumn into the winter season. The sun’s path continues to sink southward, daylight hours shrink rapidly, and northern regions begin to experience freezing winds and the first touches of snow.
Ancient Chinese phenology divided Start of Winter into three distinctive micro-seasons (Penthads / 三候):
水始冰 Water surfaces in lakes and rivers begin to freeze into a thin layer of ice.
地始冻 The damp earth hardens and stiffens under the biting overnight frost.
雉入大水为蜃 Wild pheasants disappear from view, poetically thought to transform into marine clams.
2. Lifestyle, Diet & Customs
In traditional philosophy, winter is the time of Cang (藏)—storing energy, protecting vitality, and preparing the body for the cold months ahead.
🍵 Diet & Health
The most famous national custom for Lidong is “Eating Dumplings” (吃饺子):
- Traditional Dumplings: Shaped like human ears, eating dumplings on Lidong day is believed to protect people’s ears from freezing off during harsh winter winds.
- Mutton & Beef Hot Pot: Hearty warming meats that nourish the blood, stimulate circulation, and fortify inner core heat.
- Black Sesame & Walnuts: Nutritious seeds consumed to nourish kidney energy during the cold season.
🏮 Folk Traditions
In coastal southern regions, Lidong is traditionally celebrated as “Welcoming Winter” (贺冬). Families offer newly harvested rice, wine, and poultry in ancestral shrines, thanking heaven and earth for past blessings and praying for family warmth through the winter.
📜 Classic Poetry
Poets captured the quiet, introspective beauty of Lidong as winter officially settles over the mountains:
《立冬》 — 陆游 (Song Dynasty)
闭门不出多年事，今朝立冬心始闲。
樽酒忽惊春意动，窗前落尽小桃残。
(Staying indoors behind closed doors has been my routine for years; today on Lidong, my heart suddenly feels at ease. A cup of wine surprisingly stirs a touch of spring warmth, even as the last withered peach blossoms fall outside the window.)
3. Agricultural Wisdom
In rural farming communities, an old proverb states: “If it freezes on Lidong, expect a warm winter; if it’s warm on Lidong, expect deep ice (立冬冰上霜，逢年雨水汪).”
This marks the end of field cultivation. Farmers wrap up machinery maintenance, store root vegetables in cellars, and focus on indoor sideline production and livestock care.