Major Cold (Dahan, 大寒), the last solar term at solar longitude 300°, marks the peak of winter as year-end feasts, kitchen god rites and cleaning begin.
Solar longitude
300°
Type
Principal term (zhongqi)
Season
Winter
Order
No. 24 of 24
Usual dates
Jan 20
Meaning and Astronomy
Dahan (大寒) begins when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 300°, usually around 20 or 21 January. The ancients believed the cold reached its accumulated peak at this point, hence 'major cold'. In practice, many parts of China record their coldest days anywhere between Minor Cold and Major Cold, and which of the two is colder varies from year to year.
It is the last term of winter and the last of the 24 solar terms, a zhongqi (中氣) or 'principal' term, the principal term of the twelfth lunar month. The Start of Spring comes next, closing the annual cycle, which is why people speak of 'welcoming the new year at Major Cold'.
The Three Pentads
First pentad: Hens begin to brood (雞始乳) - sensing the growth of yang, hens start laying and hatching chicks.
Second pentad: Birds of prey fly fierce and swift (征鳥厲疾) - hawks and falcons hunt with special vigour to build up energy against the cold.
Third pentad: Lakes and marshes freeze solid (水澤腹堅) - ice reaches the centre of lakes and rivers and is at its thickest.
Climate and Farming
During Major Cold the north remains in deep winter with frequent cold waves and strong winds; the northwest and northeast can fall to minus 20 or 30°C, and the Yangtze region and southern China may also see frost or ice. Cold waves bring damp chill to northern Taiwan and snow to its high mountains, while Hong Kong is still in its coldest weeks, with occasional Cold Weather Warnings. A proverb says 'if Major Cold is not cold, people and horses will not be at peace' - folk belief that an unseasonably warm winter brings illness and trouble.
Northern farmers protect overwintering crops and livestock and prepare fertiliser; in the south, farmers guard against cold damage and repair tools and irrigation for spring ploughing. Daylight lengthens steadily, and preparations for the new farming year begin.
Customs
Major Cold falls at the end of the lunar year, so many New Year customs cluster here. The sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month is weiya (尾牙) in Taiwan and southern Fujian, the last of the year's regular offerings to the Earth God. Businesses traditionally thank employees with a banquet, and Taiwanese companies still hold large weiya dinners today.
The twenty-third or twenty-fourth day of the twelfth month is the 'Little New Year', when families send the Kitchen God back to heaven. In popular belief he reports on each household's conduct to the Jade Emperor, so people offer him sweets in the hope he will speak well of them. The north usually holds the rite on the 23rd and the south on the 24th; in Taiwan it is called 'sending off the gods'.
Year-end cleaning, to sweep away the old and welcome the new, also happens now. In Hong Kong the big clean-up traditionally falls on the 28th day of the twelfth month. Everywhere people shop for New Year goods and steam rice cakes and turnip cakes. Old Beijing ate 'cold-dispelling cake', a rice cake whose name suggests rising higher each year.
Seasonal Food and Wellness
Traditional wellness sees Major Cold as the final stage of winter storage and a time to prepare for spring's growth, gradually easing off heavy tonics toward lighter, balanced meals. Seasonal foods include white radish, napa cabbage, mustard greens and winter bamboo shoots, along with chicken soup and slow-cooked stews.
Year-end banquets make overeating easy, so moderation with meat and alcohol is wise. Keeping warm remains important, especially for older people and those with chronic conditions. These are traditional ideas and general reminders, not medical advice.