Meaning and Customs of Dongji (冬至) — the 22nd of the 24 Solar Terms, Around December 21-23
Dongji (冬至) is the 22nd of the 24 solar terms, entering around December 21-23 when the sun reaches celestial longitude 270°.
At a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 冬至 |
| Season | ❄️ Winter |
| Gregorian timing | Around December 21-23 |
| Solar longitude | 270° |
| Saju monthly order | Mid-qi (中氣) — the middle of the month |
| Key themes | Longest night, Little New Year, red bean porridge |
Meaning and Origin
Dongji is the day when the night is longest in the year. Because the daylight begins to lengthen again after this day, people in the past called Dongji “Little New Year (亞歲)” and honored it as the day when the sun comes back to life.
Customs and Foods
People cooked and ate dongji red bean porridge with as many rice-ball dumplings as their age, and they scattered it inside and outside the house, believing the energy of red beans drove away harmful spirits. It was also the season when the Gwansanggam, the royal office of astronomy and calendar-making, prepared and distributed the new year’s calendar.
Saju and the Solar Term
Dongji is a mid-qi (中氣), marking the middle of the lunar month. In myeongnihak, the boundary of the month pillar (月柱) is based on the twelve section nodes (節), while a mid-qi is read as the point when the energy of that month becomes most concentrated.
Wisdom of This Season
In the middle of the darkest night, the light has already begun to turn back — recovery begins at the bottom.
Learn More
- See all 24 solar terms: 24절기 사전
- Today’s daily energy, zodiac, and tarot: 오늘의 우주 (oiyo.net)
- A saju calendar that moves by solar terms: 사주 대사전
Solar terms are a seasonal calendar that divides the sun’s path into twenty-four parts. This is a traditional explanation based on the climate of the Korean Peninsula, and the actual date may vary by about a day each year.
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