Winter Solstice (冬至, Dongzhi): Red Bean Porridge Day

The winter solstice (冬至, Dongzhi) is the 22nd solar term, when the sun reaches 270 degrees and the night is longest in the northern hemisphere. East Asian tradition regards it as the turning point where yang begins to grow again.

The moment in 2026 and 2027

In 2026 the solstice falls on 22 December at 05:50 Korea time, before dawn. In 2027 it comes on 22 December at 11:42. It is a qi (氣) term, the centre of the Rat month (子), so the month pillar does not change; in 2026 the month stays 庚子.

The engine keeps a full snapshot of 22 December 2026, which makes this page's table possible. It also shows the lunar date: the 14th day of the 11th lunar month, which matters for one Korean custom described below.

Calendar snapshot of the winter solstice day, 22 December 2026
Item	Value
Solstice moment (KST)	2026-12-22 05:50
Sun's longitude	270°
Day pillar	庚午
Month pillar	庚子
Year pillar	丙午
Lunar date	11th month, day 14 (month of 30 days)
Next term	Minor Cold, 15 days later
Same moment in 2027	2027-12-22 11:42

What the name means

冬 is winter and 至 means 'to arrive at the extreme'. The sun's noon height is at its lowest, and daylight is shortest. In the yin-yang reading, yin has reached its fullest and so, as in any cycle, the first thread of yang appears. That is why old China and Korea both called the day a 'little New Year': in Korean, jageun seol (작은설).

What changes in nature

The days start lengthening again from here, although the coldest weeks still lie ahead because the land and sea keep losing stored heat. In Korea this is the time of long, clear, cold nights and dry northwesterly winds. The classical signs are earthworms curling up tightly, elk shedding their antlers, and springs beginning to move beneath the ice, the last a small image of yang returning.

Seasonal foods: red bean porridge

The best-known Korean solstice food is patjuk, red bean porridge with small balls of glutinous rice (saealsim, 'bird eggs'). A common family habit is to eat as many rice balls as one's age. Folk belief held that the red colour of the beans keeps misfortune away, so some households once set a little porridge by the gate. A related custom looks at the lunar date: when the solstice falls in the first ten days of the 11th lunar month it is called aedongji ('child solstice'), and many families make red bean rice cake instead of porridge. In 2026, at lunar day 14, the solstice is a middle solstice, so porridge is the usual choice.

In China, northern families often eat dumplings on the solstice and southern families sweet glutinous rice balls (tangyuan).

Gentle habits for the season

Use the long night: an unhurried, earlier bedtime suits the season.
Seek morning light when it finally comes; a short walk after sunrise brightens a dark day.
Keep meals warm and simple, and eat slowly.
Treat the day as a small year-end: tidy one corner, write a note, rest.

A line of poetry

Bai Juyi spent one solstice away from home and wrote 《邯鄲冬至夜思家》 (Thinking of Home on Solstice Night at Handan): 「邯鄲驛裏逢冬至，抱膝燈前影伴身。」 "At the Handan post station I meet the solstice; hugging my knees by the lamp, only my shadow keeps me company."

Questions

Is the solstice always on 22 December?

In Korea time it is usually 21 or 22 December. In both 2026 and 2027 it falls on the 22nd, at 05:50 and 11:42 KST.

Does the new year start at the solstice in the Four Pillars calendar?

No. The year pillar changes at Start of Spring. The solstice is called a 'little New Year' in custom, but for pillars 22 December 2026 is still in the 丙午 year.

What is aedongji?

A solstice that falls in the first ten days of the 11th lunar month. Custom then favours red bean rice cake over porridge. The 2026 solstice is on lunar day 14, so it is not an aedongji.

If the solstice is the darkest day, why is January colder?

Heat stored in land and sea keeps draining for weeks after the sun turns back, so the coldest terms, Minor and Major Cold, come afterwards.

Recipes for this season

Abalone Rice Porridge (Jeonbokjuk) and the Water ElementKorean abalone porridge in 40 minutes: 2 abalone, 1 cup of rice, 6 cups of water. Why the tradition reads it as an even, all-season Water dish.Baek-kimchi: a Cool Metal White Kimchi without ChiliKorean white kimchi with napa cabbage, radish and pear in a clear brine, no chili. How the tradition reads its white colour as Metal.Black Sesame Porridge: a Black, Water-Element BowlBlack sesame porridge in 20 minutes with 4 tbsp black sesame and glutinous rice. Why black foods are read as Water, for autumn and winter tables.Broccoli and Tofu Salad: a 15-Minute Wood and Water SideA 15-minute Korean side of blanched broccoli and mashed tofu, and how the five-element tradition reads its green Wood and soft Water.Chestnut Rice (Bam-bap): an Autumn Earth BowlKorean chestnut rice for 2 in 50 minutes: 10 peeled chestnuts and 3 jujubes on soaked rice. Why the tradition reads it as Earth.Ginger and Jujube Chicken Soup for Cold MonthsChicken soup with ginger, 6 jujubes and 5 garlic cloves, simmered 45 minutes. A warm Fire and Earth dish the tradition sets for autumn and winter.