立冬 Lìdōng
Start of Winter
In 2026: 7 November 2026 to 22 November 2026 (Beijing time)
Winter is “established”. The year turns to storing: rest more, spend less.
- Sun’s longitude
- 225°
- Month (earthly branch)
- 亥month
- Season
- Winter
- Five Phase
- 水Water
The three pentads
Each term is divided into three five-day pentads, named for what the ancients saw happen in nature.
- First pentad水始冰Water begins to freeze
- Second pentad地始冻The ground begins to freeze
- Third pentad雉入大水为蜃Pheasants enter the sea and become giant clams (an old belief)
Wudang yangsheng for this term
- Breath
- Tradition gives winter to the kidneys: let the breath sink to the lower back, storing rather than spending.
- Warm tea and diet
- Warm cooked food, soups and stews; black tea or ripe pu’er.
- Sleep and daily rhythm
- Go to bed early and rise late, “waiting for the sunlight”, as the Huangdi Neijing advises.
Traditional guidance, not medical advice. The terms follow the seasons of central China.
In the Book of Changes
Each month has a sovereign hexagram (消息卦) that shows how far yin or yang has grown. For the 亥 month it is 坤, The Receptive.
Seeker’s Q&A
What does “welcoming winter” mean for me today?
Mark the change on purpose instead of drifting into it. Choose one evening this week to set your winter rhythm: earlier nights, warmer clothes, a slower start to the morning.
Why is winter linked with water?
In Five Phase thought each season has its phase: wood for spring, fire for summer, metal for autumn, water for winter. Water sinks and stores, which is what winter asks of us.
It never gets cold in Singapore. What changes for me?
The year still turns: deadlines, festivals and year-end tiredness gather. Treat Start of Winter as the moment to stop adding new commitments and begin storing energy.
Is there a traditional food for this day?
In northern China families eat dumplings at Start of Winter; in the south, warming soups with ginger, chicken or mutton are common. This is traditional custom, not medical advice.
One-minute practice
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and rest your hands over your lower belly. Breathe in slowly through the nose; as you breathe out, imagine the breath sinking like water into a deep well. After one minute, decide one thing you will stop doing this winter.