小寒
Xiǎo Hán · Minor Cold
Each year lands around 1/6 in the Gregorian calendar (the exact date shifts slightly year to year).
Three Hou — five days each
- Wild geese turn north
- Magpies begin to nest
- Pheasants call to mates
The 'three hou' (三候) is the traditional five-day-each observation pattern within a single solar term — fifteen days in all.
What this term marks
Xiao-Han (Minor Cold). Begins the san-jiu (三九) period — by Chinese reckoning, the coldest stretch of the year, starting the third 'nine-day' set after Dong-Zhi.
Folklore & farming
The 'Laba congee' custom (8th of the 12th lunar month, near Xiao-Han) — a porridge of mixed grains, beans, and dried fruit. A communal warming dish.
What it means in a BaZi chart
Xiao-Han opens the Chou (Ox) month — Earth holding Water. Chou is the 'metal reservoir' (金库) — Metal stored within Earth. Metal-deficient charts find that hidden metal accessible in Chou.
Guidance, not prophecy. For reflection, not decision.