Winter Solstice
The shortest day: yin at its utmost, yang reborn. “The solstice is as great as New Year” — the deepest cold begins counting down, and within it, spring is already seeded.
Heaven's seasons and human affairs press on each other daily —
at solstice, yang is born, and spring returns once more.
— Du Fu (Tang), “The Day Before Solstice”
天时人事日相催
冬至阳生春又来
杜甫 · 小至
冬至阳生春又来
杜甫 · 小至
Profound Black
Three Pentads
三候The ancients divided each solar term into three pentads of five days, recording nature's subtle changes.
I
一候 蚯蚓结
First pentad — Earthworms curl into knots
II
二候 麋角解
Second pentad — Elk shed their antlers
III
三候 水泉动
Third pentad — Springs stir beneath the ice
Seasonal Palette
节气色谱One leading color with three companions, all drawn from the traditional Chinese color canon.
玄色#3B3A42
xuánsè · Profound Black
朱砂#B0403C
zhūshā · Cinnabar
暖炉金#C9963F
nuǎnlújīn · Brazier Gold
夜雪青#8C9DB0
yèxuěqīng · Night Snow Blue
Customs
风物Dumplings in the north, tangyuan in the south — both round symbols of reunion.
北饺南圆——北方吃饺子,南方吃汤圆,皆取团圆之意。
Counting the nines: one stroke a day on a winter chart until, eighty-one days later, spring.
数九——自冬至画「九九消寒图」,一日一笔,数尽则春深。