Meaning of Cheoseo (處暑) — the 14th of the 24 Solar Terms, around August 22-24
Cheoseo (處暑) is the 14th of the 24 solar terms, falling around August 22-24 when the Sun reaches celestial longitude 150°.
At a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 處暑 |
| Season | 🍂 Autumn |
| Gregorian timing | Around August 22-24 |
| Solar longitude | 150° |
| Saju monthly command | Middle qi (中氣) — the midpoint of the month |
| Core keywords | Heat comes to a stop, seasonal transition |
Meaning and Origin
Cheoseo means that “the heat (暑) settles and comes to a stop (處).” As the Korean proverb says, “After Cheoseo, even mosquitoes’ mouths become crooked,” meaning the intense heat begins to ease and mornings and evenings turn cooler.
Customs and Foods
This was a time for poswae (曝曬), drying clothes and books that had become damp during the summer rainy season in the sun. It is also when beolcho, cutting the grass around ancestral graves, traditionally begins.
Saju and the Solar Term
Cheoseo is a middle qi (中氣), marking the middle of the lunar month. In myeongli, the boundary of the month pillar (月柱) is based on the 12 seasonal nodes (節), while the middle qi is read as the point when that month’s qi becomes most concentrated.
Wisdom for This Time
A solar term for taking out and drying what became damp over summer — a time when both spaces and minds need fresh air.
Learn More
- View all 24 solar terms: 24절기 사전
- Today’s iljin, zodiac, and tarot: 오늘의 우주 (oiyo.net)
- Saju calendar moved by the solar terms: 사주 대사전
The solar terms are a seasonal calendar that divides the Sun’s path into 24 parts. This is a traditional explanation based on the climate of the Korean peninsula, and the actual date varies by about a day from year to year.
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