Greater Snow (大雪)

What the solar terms mean

Greater Snow usually falls around 7 December. It falls on 7 December in 2026 and 2027, and on 6 December in 2028. In northern China, snow often falls thickly, the lying snow deepens, and rivers begin to freeze over.

After Greater Snow comes the Winter Solstice (冬至), the longest night of the year. From the solstice, folk tradition counts the cold days in nines — the 'counting nines' (數九). The coldest days of winter are drawing near.

Traditional customs in different places

A folk saying pairs the terms: 'At Lesser Snow, pickle greens; at Greater Snow, cure meats' (小雪醃菜，大雪醃肉). Families salt pork and sausages and hang them up to dry slowly in the winter air; in southern China and Hong Kong, rows of hanging cured meats are a familiar sight at this season. In the north, people enjoy the snow and gather round the stove (圍爐), keeping warm and eating together as a family. In Japan, the same seasonal term is kept as Taisetsu (大雪), the time of the first heavy snows.