Minor Snow (小雪, Xiaoxue): First Snow and Short Days

Minor Snow (小雪, Xiaoxue) is the 20th solar term, beginning at 240 degrees of solar longitude. It is the mid-point of the Pig month (亥), when light first snow becomes possible across northern East Asia.

Dates

Minor Snow starts on 22 November 2026 at 16:23 Korea time, and on 22 November 2027 at 22:16. It is a qi (氣) term, the middle marker of the 亥 month, so the month pillar that began at Start of Winter (己亥 in 2026) carries on unchanged.

From Minor Snow to Major Snow takes 14 days 19 hours 29 minutes in 2026. Notice that the gaps between terms are now shorter than in October, when they were a little over 15 days. The Earth moves fastest near its closest point to the sun in early January, so the sun sweeps through each 15-degree step more quickly in these months.

Short days and the clock: November solar noon

Late autumn is also when the clock and the sun disagree the most in one direction. In November the equation of time is about +15.5 minutes, so the sun reaches its highest point earlier than the average would suggest. The haru engine uses these corrections when it converts a clock time to true solar time for the hour pillar. Even with that help, Korea's clock runs ahead of its sun: when the clock reads 12:00 in Seoul, true solar time is only 11:43.

November true-solar correction at 12:00 on the clock (engine values)
City	Longitude	Equation of time (min)	Total correction (min)	True solar time at 12:00
Seoul	126.978°E	15.5	-17	11:43
Busan	129.075°E	15.5	-8	11:51
Beijing	116.407°E	15.5	+1	12:01
Tokyo	139.692°E	15.5	+34	12:34

What the name means

小 is small and 雪 is snow. The name does not promise snow on the day; it says that snow, when it comes, is still light: flurries, wet flakes, a dusting that melts by noon. Two weeks later, Major Snow names the heavier kind.

What changes in nature

In Korea the first snow of the season is often seen in the mountains and the central inland around now, while the south may only get cold rain. Winds from the northwest strengthen and the air becomes very dry. In Korean folk memory there is even a name for the biting wind of this season, the Sondol wind (손돌바람), linked to a legend about a boatman.

The old almanac's signs are that rainbows hide and are no longer seen, the energy of heaven rises while that of earth sinks, and the two stop meeting so that winter closes in.

Seasonal foods

After kimjang, Korean households hang radish greens to dry into siraegi, which later goes into soups and stews through the winter. Late radishes, dried persimmons and jujubes are on hand. A warm bowl such as ginger and jujube chicken soup or a pear and bellflower drink with honey fits the dry, cold air; these are simply seasonal dishes, enjoyed for comfort.

Gentle habits for the season

Indoor heating dries the air; a bowl of water or a humidifier in the bedroom helps comfort.
Catch the short daylight: a walk between late morning and early afternoon gets the most sun.
Warm up with a few minutes of stretching before going out on cold mornings.
Keep hands and lips moisturised as the northwest wind picks up.

A line of poetry

Liu Zongyuan's 《江雪》 (River Snow) opens with an empty snowy world: 「千山鳥飛絕，萬徑人蹤滅。」 "Over a thousand hills no bird is flying; on ten thousand paths no footprint remains." It fits the quiet that the first snows bring.

Questions

Does it always snow at Minor Snow?

No. The name describes the season's tendency. In many parts of Korea the first flakes come around now, but the date varies a lot.

Does the month pillar change at Minor Snow?

No. It is a qi term. The 亥 month continues until Major Snow on 7 December 2026 at 11:52 KST.

Why are the gaps between terms shorter now?

The Earth moves faster as it nears perihelion in early January, so each 15-degree step of the sun takes less time: 14 days 19 hours 29 minutes from Minor Snow to Major Snow in 2026.

Why does the table show different corrections for Seoul and Busan?

Busan lies about 2.1 degrees further east, so its sun peaks earlier on the same clock; the engine applies about 4 minutes per degree.

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.