24 Solar Terms · Season
Winter Solar Term Colours冬
The six winter solar terms, from Start of Winter to Major Cold
Start of Winter立冬
Minor Snow小雪
Major Snow大雪
Winter Solstice冬至
Minor Cold小寒
Major Cold大寒
Winter runs from 立冬, Start of Winter, in early November to 大寒, Major Cold, in late January. The six terms open on pale, almost colourless yellows and snow creams, then turn through the violets and roses of mid-winter, and close on the deep reds and dark plums of the coldest days. Winter is the season where China's colour vocabulary leans hardest on red for warmth and celebration — the solstice and New Year both fall inside it — so this palette is where cold neutrals and festive red most need to be composed together rather than used apart.