Meaning and Customs of Soseol (小雪) — the 20th of the 24 Solar Terms, around November 21-23
Soseol (小雪) is the 20th of the 24 solar terms, falling around November 21-23 when the sun reaches celestial longitude 240°.
At a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 小雪 |
| Season | ❄️ Winter |
| Gregorian timing | Around November 21-23 |
| Solar longitude | 240° |
| Saju month command | Mid-term (中氣) — the middle of the lunar month |
| Key ideas | First snow, winter preparations |
Meaning and Origin
Soseol means “small (小) snow (雪)” and marks the solar term when the first snow begins to fall. As in the proverb “Soseol cold should come even if one must borrow money for it,” people believed that a brief spell of cold around this time helped barley farming succeed.
Customs and Foods
This is a busy time for putting away winter side dishes: tying and drying dried radish greens, preparing dried radish strips, and drying pumpkin slices for later use.
Saju and Solar Terms
Soseol is a mid-term (中氣), marking the middle of the month. In myeongli, the boundary of the month pillar (月柱) is based on the 12 seasonal nodes (節), while the mid-term is read as the point when that month’s qi becomes most concentrated.
Wisdom for This Time
Just as winter food is stored and preserved, this solar term calls for the wisdom to conserve and allocate the energy needed through the end of the year.
Learn More
- View all 24 solar terms: 24절기 사전
- Today’s day energy, zodiac, and tarot: 오늘의 우주 (oiyo.net)
- A saju calendar guided by solar terms: 사주 대사전
The solar terms are a seasonal calendar that divides the sun’s path into 24 segments. This is a traditional explanation based on the climate of the Korean Peninsula; the actual date may vary by about a day from year to year.
OIYO Research Team
Research TeamThe OIYO research team structures material from psychometric scales, statistics, and academic literature. We name both the popular framing and its scholarly limits, so each guide works as a tool for reflection rather than a verdict.