Xiaoxue 小雪 — Minor Snow

Overview

Xiaoxue falls around 22 November. It is the lighter of the two snow terms and the second of winter.

Meaning

The first snow term — light snow, and the beginning of the cold proper.

Traditional Interpretation

The minor/major pair with Daxue follows the same structure as the heat pair. The almanac's note is about the ground beginning to freeze rather than about the snow itself.

Related Concepts

FAQ

What is xiaoxue 小雪 — minor snow in the Chinese calendar?

The first snow term — light snow, and the beginning of the cold proper. Xiaoxue falls around 22 November. It is the lighter of the two snow terms and the second of winter.

Is xiaoxue 小雪 — minor snow a festival or a calendar date?

It is a solar term — a date fixed by the sun's position, not by the moon. The first snow term — light snow, and the beginning of the cold proper. The snow terms are calibrated to the ground rather than to the sky — what matters agriculturally is freezing, not snowfall, and the almanac is consistent about this.

How is xiaoxue 小雪 — minor snow read in Chinese tradition?

The minor/major pair with Daxue follows the same structure as the heat pair. The almanac's note is about the ground beginning to freeze rather than about the snow itself. It is grouped under Water (水) in the five-element system.

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