Beginning of Winter
Winter means completion: all things withdraw into storage. Water starts to ice, ground begins to freeze — time to warm wine around the stove for the long season ahead.
Brush frozen — too idle for new verses;
by the cold stove, fine wine warms from time to time.
— attr. Li Bai (Tang), “Beginning of Winter”
冻笔新诗懒写
寒炉美酒时温
李白(传) · 立冬
寒炉美酒时温
李白(传) · 立冬
Crimson Purple
Three Pentads
三候The ancients divided each solar term into three pentads of five days, recording nature's subtle changes.
I
一候 水始冰
First pentad — Water begins to freeze
II
二候 地始冻
Second pentad — The ground begins to harden
III
三候 雉入大水为蜃
Third pentad — Pheasants seem to become clams in the deep
Seasonal Palette
节气色谱One leading color with three companions, all drawn from the traditional Chinese color canon.
绛紫#8C4356
jiàngzǐ · Crimson Purple
炉火橘#CB7A42
lúhuǒjú · Hearth Orange
寒潭绿#5C7466
hántánlǜ · Cold Pool Green
宿墨#46474F
sùmò · Aged Ink
Customs
风物Eating dumplings — folk wisdom says they keep your ears from freezing off.
吃饺子——「立冬不端饺子碗,冻掉耳朵没人管」。
Starting the winter brew: Shaoxing households begin fermenting yellow wine.
酿冬酒——绍兴人立冬开酿黄酒,谓之「冬酿」。