Beginning of Winter Li Dong 立冬

 

According to Chinese calendar on November 8th starts the 15-day solar term "Beginning of Winter" Li Dong 立冬.

 

In ancient times this signified that all the crops in autumn have been harvested and stored, and the animals have also hidden to prepare for hibernation. All things enter a period of dormancy and recuperation. 

 

In the Book of Changes Yijing, this period of the year is symbolized by the Earth hexagram (the 2nd hexagram - Kun gua 坤卦), which consists of only Yin lines and denotes the characteristics of November in the Northern hemisphere: a lot of mists and fogs, less sunshine, longer nights, colder weather, etc. In the beginning of December this will change and the Yang energy will return and start to increase. This hexagram is auspicious because it is peaceful, calm, soft, tolerant, nurturing all things like a mother. The peaceful nature of the earth is due to its virtue of generosity. Thus, it can accommodate and provide for all things. By modeling himself on the Earth, a man of virtue will care for all people and all things. 地势坤：君子以厚德载物.

 

Now it's a good time to take nourishing tonic foods and herbs, which assist the blood circulation and tonify the qi. As the old Chinese saying goes: "in the Beginning of Winter tonify for the Winter" 立冬补冬. The foods that are high in energy are eaten now, in order to warm up and strengthen the body: soybean milk, walnuts, chestnuts, lotus seeds, longan, lotus root, mushrooms, pumpkin, carrots, etc. 

 

In the different places in East Asia there are different local customs. For example, in Beijing and Northern China today the people will enjoy eating dumplings, in Nanjing and Jiang'an area - will eat green onions, while in Guangdong province - glutinous rice balls (Tang yuan).

In Vietnam the people celebrate Lập đông ("Beginning of Winter") as the new rice festival and enjoy eating together the freshly harvested rice.

The Korean people also celebrate this solar term (they call it ipdong 입동) by eating rice cakes, but besides, this is when everyone starts to prepare the kimchi. Winter kimchi is said to be the tastiest when it's prepared no more than five days before or after Ipdong (November 7th)!

The great Chinese doctor from Tang dynasty Sun Simiao says: "It is not advisable to go out early in the winter morning and return home late at night." 冬月不宜清早出夜深归，冒犯寒威。And, as another Chinese medicine sayinv goes, "In the winter get up late, in order to preserve the Yang qi." This is such a great advise! We all need Yang qi for good health. Stay healthy and well, enjoy inner peace and be happy!