Greater Cold 大寒 · Dà Hán · ~Jan 20
AT A GLANCE
The last term — cold at its deepest, but spring is already inside it. The tradition turns gently toward the coming rise.
How the food tradition reads it
The folk custom is glutinous rice (大寒吃糯米饭) — warm, sticky, sustaining. Keep it with red dates and a little brown sugar.
Tonight’s bowl
Glutinous rice & red date rice — glutinous rice 150 g, jujube 6, a little brown sugar, steamed.
The practice of the term
Begin imagining the morning walk again — spring is two terms away.
What to watch for this term
- Joints and organs feel the last deep cold — wind-cold still stalks
- Spring hides inside — the year’s cycle prepares to turn again
Who feels this term most
Yang Deficiency — The final gate — porridge, warmth, and patience; spring is two terms away
Qi Deficiency — Hold the line: regular sleep, warm food, and no chill—and you enter spring whole
Watching a pattern is not a diagnosis — flare-ups and chronic conditions belong with a professional.
The season’s anchor
“The three months of winter are called the storing… sleep early, rise late, wait for the sun.” — Suwen, On Nurturing Life by the Four Seasons
The cycle continues
← Lesser Cold · Start of Spring →
