Minor Cold 小寒(Shōkan Japanese, 소한 Sohan Korean, tiểu hàn Vietnamese) literally means small or minor cold. and is the 23rd solar term. It ia a bit of a misnomer. Although “Minor Cold” implies less cold than the following solar term, “Major Cold”, there is an old saying in China that “The days of the Sanjiu period are the coldest days.” “Sanjiu period” refers to the third nine-day period (the 19th-27th days) after the day of the Winter Solstice, which is in Minor Cold. In truth, Minor Cold is normally the coldest period of winter and most areas in China have entered the bitter stage of winter. The ground and rivers are frozen. The cold air from the north moves southward continuously. In the western calendar it usually begins around 5 January and ends around 20 January.
Since the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), there is a tradition of making a special type of chart called jiujiuxiaohantu, which helps them get through the cold days. The chart shows a picture of a plum tree with nine blossoms, each with nine uncolored petals. Or, it can be a grid of nine Chinese words, each with nine strokes. The practice of using a jiujiuxiaohantu actually starts with the first day of Winter Solstice and lasts throughout the nine nine-day periods that follow. From the first day, people draw one petal or stroke every day until it is finished. As Xiaohan takes place during the third nine-day period of the coldest days, people usually link the custom to this solar term.
It is important to keep warm during this period. There is an old Chinese saying that goes, “Get exercise in the coldest days of winter.”, which is Minor Cold. To keep warm, the children of China have special games to play, such as hoop rolling, but their are lots of ways to exercise in the cold. If you live where there is snow, cross country skiing is a tremendous workout and a wonderful way to enjoy winter.
From the perspective of dietary health care, during Minor Cold people should eat hot foods like trout, pepper, cinnamon, leeks, fennel and parsley. Chinese think Minor Cold is the best time to have dishes like hot pot. A good American dish for this time is chili. Soup is always good for you and hearty soups and stews are perfect for warming the body at this time.
In Tianjin, there is a custom to have huangyacai, a kind of Chinese cabbage, during Minor Cold. There are large amounts of Vitamins A and B in huangyacai. As huangyacai is fresh and tender, it is fit for frying, roasting and braising.
Cantonese people traditionally eat glutinous rice in the morning during Minor Cold, adding things like fried preserved pork, sausage and peanuts and mixing them into the rice. According to the theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine, glutinous rice has the effect of tonifying the spleen and stomach in the cold season.
In Nanjing there is a custom of eating vegetable rice that has continued from ancient times. The rice is steamed and other ingredients are added. Among the ingredients, aijiaohuang (a kind of green vegetable), sausage and salted duck are favored specialties.
Kimchee and Catnip 