Dahan (solar term)

The traditional Chinese calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. Dàhán, Daikan, Daehan, or Đại hàn () is the 24th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 300° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 315°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 300°. In the Gregorian calendar, Dahan usually begins around 20 January and ends around 4 February.

Date and time

Customs

There are many important folk customs during the period from Dahan to Lichun, such as getting rid of the old and bringing in the new, preserving meat, and the year-end festival.

Weiya () is the year-end festival. Glutinous rice, steamed buns, and much alcohol are traditional foods. Getting a haircut and buying new year gifts are common activities at the end of the year. End of year work parties (年会) are a modern remnant of the year-end festival.

Some other traditional activities at this time of year:

• "dust removal", or cleaning the house to sweep away bad luck. Dust removal is usually done on the 23rd or 24th day of the twelfth lunar month.
• "Pasting windows". This was the traditional time to refresh paper windows. Some families would cut some auspicious patterns and paste them on the windows. It is usually done on the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month.
• "preserve meat", this time of year is the driest in China, which is a good time of year to preserve meat.
• "Rush to get married". Being a break in the agricultural year, it was traditionally a good time for marriages.

References