Today marks the start of the 小寒 Shokan season of 二十四節気 Nizyusisekki : the 24 solar terms!

The calendar divides the year into six parts: spring, summer, autumn, winter, and winter.

Twenty-four solar terms in winter
立冬 Ritto → 小雪 Shosetsu → 大雪 Taisetsu  → 冬至 Toji: winter solstice → 小寒 Shokan → 大寒 Daikan

■ 小寒　Shokan
The beginning of cold
The time when it will become even colder from now on

The 30 days from “Shokan” to “Setsubun” is called “Kanno-no-uchi”

After Setsubun, it will be Risshun (Risshun being the first day of spring)

The next 24 days of the year is “大寒 Daikan” on January 20.

■ 七十二候 Sitizyuniko : The 72 solar terms
A calendar that further divides the 24 solar terms into three parts.

The first season is from the 6th to the 9th.

芹乃栄　seri sunawachi sakau
Seri (Japanese parsley) is one of the seven plants of spring.
Seri is one of the seven spring herbs and grows near cold water.

The next season (10~14 days)
水泉動　simizu atatakawo fukumu
A time when frozen springs begin to move.

The last season, around 15th~19th
雉始鴝(句隹)  kiji hazimete naku
Male pheasants begin to cry for females.

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So many waves of corona infections come and go, vaccination or not 😩.

I think the risk of serious illness is decreasing, but it is better not to get it, so I guess we just have to keep washing hands, masking, and avoiding close quarters 😷.