The traditional
Chinese calendar
The traditional Chinese calendar, dating back to the Han dynasty, is a lunisolar calendar that blends solar, lunar, and other cycles for social and agricultural purposes. While modern China primarily uses the Gregorian calendar for officia ...
divides a year into 24
solar term
A solar term (or ''jiéqì'', zh, t=節氣, s=节气) is any of twenty-four periods in traditional Chinese lunisolar calendars that matches a particular astronomical event or signifies some natural phenomenon. The points are spaced 15° apart ...
s. ''Dàhán'', ''Daikan'', ''Daehan'', or ''Đại hàn'' () is the 24th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the
celestial longitude of 300° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 315°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 300°. In the
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...
, it usually begins around 20 January and ends around 4 February.
Date and time
Customs
There are many important folk customs during the period from Dahan to Lichun, such as getting rid of the old and bringing in the new, preserving meat, and the year-end festival.
Weiya (
:zh:做牙) is the year-end festival. Glutinous rice, steamed buns, and much alcohol are traditional foods. Getting a haircut and buying new year gifts are common activities at the end of the year. End of year work parties (年会) are a modern remnant of the year-end festival.
Some other traditional activities at this time of year:
*
:zh:扫尘 "dust removal", or cleaning the house to sweep away bad luck. Dust removal is usually done on the 23rd or 24th day of the twelfth lunar month.
*
:zh:糊窗 "Pasting windows". This was the traditional time to refresh paper windows. Some families would cut some auspicious patterns and paste them on the windows. It is usually done on the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month.
*
:zh:腊味 "preserve meat", this time of year is the driest in China, which is a good time of year to preserve meat.
*
:zh:赶婚 "Rush to get married". Being a break in the agricultural year, it was traditionally a good time for marriages.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dahan (Solar Term)
24
Winter time