Daeseol (大雪) Meaning and Customs — the 21st of the 24 Solar Terms, Around December 6-8
Daeseol (大雪) is the 21st of the 24 solar terms, arriving around December 6-8 when the sun reaches celestial longitude 255°.
At a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 大雪 |
| Season | ❄️ Winter |
| Gregorian timing | Around December 6-8 |
| Solar longitude | 255° |
| Saju month command | Solar-term node (節) — from this day, the Ja (子) month begins |
| Key ideas | Heavy snow, a sign of a good harvest |
Meaning and Origin
Daeseol means “great (大) snow (雪),” and refers to the solar term when heavy snow is expected. Traditional sayings held that if much snow fell at Daeseol, the following year would bring a good harvest, because snow covered the barley and protected it from the cold.
Customs and Foods
This was the time to boil soybeans and make meju. Since meju fermented through the winter determined the taste of the next year’s jang, it was one of the major household tasks of the year.
Saju and the Solar Terms
The calendar of myeongli astrology moves by solar terms. Daeseol is one of the 12 nodes (節), and from this day, the month pillar (月柱) in saju changes to the Ja (子) month. This is why solar terms, not lunar calendar dates, are the standard when determining the sexagenary sign of a birth month.
Wisdom for This Time of Year
Like snow piling up quietly, this is a solar term for steadily building inner strength. As outside work lessens, use the season as time to fill what is within.
Learn More
- View all 24 solar terms: 24 Solar Terms Dictionary
- Today’s day pillar, zodiac, and tarot: Today’s Cosmos (oiyo.net)
- The saju calendar that moves by solar terms: Saju Dictionary
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; the actual date can vary by about a day each year.
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