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Sohan means "lesser cold," yet in Korea it is in fact the coldest time of year. As the saying goes, "Daehan froze to death visiting Sohan's house."
Sohan, around January 6, brings—despite its name—the most biting cold of the year on the Korean peninsula.
Strong northwest winds blow and rivers and earth freeze solid. People of old stocked ample firewood and provisions against the Sohan cold.
To endure the cold, people enjoyed hot broths and foods like dongchimi (radish water kimchi). They cut back on chores and nourished the body to get through winter.
Sohan (Lesser Cold) begins when the Sun reaches 285° of ecliptic longitude, fifteen degrees past the winter solstice point. · First pentad, 雁北鄕 — wild geese turn toward the north. · Second pentad, 鵲始巢 — magpies begin to build nests. · Third pentad, 雉始雊 — pheasants begin to call. Although this is the coldest term, all three signs are preparations for spring. The geese have not left yet but have turned their heads north, magpies are building, and cock pheasants call for mates. The second pentad is particularly easy to confirm in Korea. Magpies are year-round residents here, and from midwinter you can see them, even in cities, carrying twigs to build or repair nests. Nests stand out clearly in bare winter trees, so looking for one with freshly stacked twigs on a walk around Sohan is one way to feel the term.
New-season laver (gim) is at its best around Sohan. Harvested from the winter sea, it has a deep aroma — brush it with perilla oil and toast it lightly, or make it into a simple laver soup. Cockles from Beolgyo, south-coast oysters and east-coast gwamegi are all still going strong, so this is a time to taste a broad range of winter seafood. On days when the outdoor temperature plunges, the gap between inside and outside makes condensation form readily on windows and balcony walls. Around Sohan, wipe the frames dry every morning and set furniture a hand's width away from exterior walls to cut down on mould. Opening the windows two or three times a day for around ten minutes each time refreshes the air without adding much heat loss. On mornings with a severe cold snap, moving exercise to the sunny middle of the day is easier on the body.
| Year | Begins at |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Jan 6, 05:49 |
| 2025 | Jan 5, 11:33 |
| 2026 this year | Jan 5, 17:23 |
| 2027 | Jan 5, 23:10 |
| 2028 | Jan 6, 04:55 |
Lesser Cold is one of the twelve jeol (節) that switch the month pillar in Korean Four Pillars astrology. In 2026 the 丑 month begins at Jan 5, 17:23. Anyone born before that moment carries the previous branch; anyone born after carries 丑.
If your birthday falls near a solar term, the date alone does not settle your month pillar — you need the time of birth as well.
Taking Lesser Cold alone: it fell at Jan 5, 11:33 in 2025 and at Jan 5, 17:23 in 2026 — roughly 5.8 hours later. The date jumps back a day in 2025 because the year before, 2024, was a leap year — February 29 fell between the two ingresses. January and February terms move earlier the year after a leap year, not in the leap year itself.
By longitude, Lesser Cold sits at 285° and the next term Greater Cold at 300° — about 15 days apart.
Bundle up and heat against the peak cold snap
Nourish the body with hot broths
Watch for falls on icy roads
Manage indoor dryness
Adjacent terms:
Explore related fortunes
Lesser Cold is the 23rd of the 24 solar terms, falling around January 6. Named "lesser cold," yet truly the coldest term. "The Sohan cold comes even on loan."
Sohan means "lesser cold," yet in Korea it is in fact the coldest time of year. As the saying goes, "Daehan froze to death visiting Sohan's house."
Bundle up and heat against the peak cold snap Nourish the body with hot broths Watch for falls on icy roads Manage indoor dryness