About

"It's cold." Sohan (Small Cold) is one of the 24 solar terms. It falls around January 5th or 6th of the solar calendar, when the sun's ecliptic longitude is 285 degrees. It is the 23rd solar term, the first term of the year, and the coldest period. Originally in China, it was the period when the most severe cold wave arrived after Daehan (Great Cold), and there was a custom for farming households to make full preparations for the extreme cold until Ipchun (Start of Spring). Although it has faded somewhat now, this is also the time when the climate of 'Samhansaon'—three cold days and four warm days—begins in earnest. Additionally, it is the day when the sun rises latest among the 24 solar terms. Based on the names alone, Daehan should be the coldest followed by Sohan, but in South Korea, Sohan is actually colder. The main reason is psychological; because it suddenly gets cold during Sohan, people who haven't adapted or prepared feel it intensely, whereas by the time Daehan arrives, people have already adapted to and prepared for the Sohan cold, so they don't feel it has become much colder. Furthermore, in terms of the time interval from the Winter Solstice (the shortest day of the year), Sohan is only half as far as Daehan. Since Sohan is only about fifteen days past the Winter Solstice, the days haven't lengthened much and the chill is extreme, while Daehan is nearly a month past the Solstice, meaning days are longer and the extreme chill of Sohan has subsided to some extent. Moreover, since the 24 solar terms themselves are tailored to the climate of the North China region, there are differences from South Korea's temperatures. Seasonal foods include cockles, tangerines, sweet potatoes, burdock root, strawberries, and gwamegi.