Solar term 16 of 24 · Water · winter
Start of Winter 立冬
Winter opens. The year stops producing and starts storing.
Lìdōng · begins 7 November 2026 · approximately fifteen days
Water season. The classical instruction is to go to bed early, get up late, and keep the body warm without sweating it. Everything about this season rewards conservation and punishes display.
The three micro-seasons
Every term divides into three pentads of about five days.
- Water begins to freeze
- Ground begins to harden
- Pheasants enter the sea
What to do in these fifteen days
- Move bedtime thirty minutes earlier starting tonight. Keep it there until March.
- Turn the heating down one degree and wear one more layer.
- Choose one long project for the winter. Winter is for depth, not breadth.
On the table
Black beans, black sesame, walnuts · Slow-cooked root vegetables
One question
What would this winter look like if you treated rest as the work?
Seasonal and cultural information only. Not medical advice, and no claim is made about treating any condition. See method & limits.