Solar term 17 of 24 · Water · winter
Minor Snow 小雪
The first snow, or the first real cold. Either way, the light is going.
Xiǎoxuě · begins 22 November 2026 · approximately fifteen days
Daylight is now shrinking faster than at any other point in the year — around two minutes a day at mid-northern latitudes. These are the fifteen days when seasonal low mood is most often mistaken for a personal problem.
The three micro-seasons
Every term divides into three pentads of about five days.
- Rainbows hide
- Sky rises, earth sinks
- Winter closes in
What to do in these fifteen days
- Get light in the first hour after waking. Outdoors if possible, a bright lamp if not.
- Add one social thing to every week, fixed, in the diary. Winter isolation is a schedule problem.
- Start taking vitamin D if your clinician has suggested it — this is the season for the question.
On the table
Lamb, leek, black fungus · Warm soups, salted greens
One question
Who do you stop contacting in winter, and why?
Seasonal and cultural information only. Not medical advice, and no claim is made about treating any condition. See method & limits.