Week 49: “Major Snow”

December 04 – December 10 is the 49th week of the Gregorian calendar.  During this week, the Solar Term of Minor Snow ends and we enter into the Solar Term of Major Snow (Dec 07 – Dec 21).  The micro-seasons in this week are “The Tachibana First Turns Yellow” (Dec 02 – Dec 06) and “The Sky is Cold, Winter Comes” (Dec 07 – Dec 13).

The haiku selected for this week are written by Basho, Issa, Reichhold, Shiki, and Kyoshi.

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The 24 Solar Terms

The 24 solar terms were created by farmers in ancient China  (206 BCE and 24 CE) to help guide their agricultural activities. Each solar term is 15 days long and is based on the climate around the city Xi’an, which was the capital of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE). ⁽¹⁾

This week we enter the Solar Term of Major Snow (Dec 07 – Dec 21).  Major Snow is the 21^st Solar Term of the year.

In northern China during this time of year, the snow is often heavy causing damage to trees and disrupting daily activities.  In the southern parts of China, the snow is consistent but much lighter.

While the heavy snow may seem like a challenge, farmers see it as a good thing. There is a traditional Chinese proverb that states, “A timely snow promises a good harvest”.  The belief behind this proverb is that heavy snow will protect the root systems and provide plenty of water for the next growing season.^(2,3)

Also during this time of year, wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) blooms. Wintersweet, which is sometimes called Japanese allspice, is a flowering plant native to China.  Wintersweet along with pine and bamboo are referred to as the “Three Friends of Winter”.^(2,3)

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The 72 Seasons

The 72-season calendar was established in 1685 by Japanese astronomer Shibukawa Shunkai.  Each season lasts for about 5 days and offers “a poetic journey through the Japanese year in which the land awakens and blooms with life and activity before returning to slumber.”⁽⁴⁾

This week we have the micro seasons of “The Tachibana First Turns Yellow” (Dec 02 – Dec 06) and “The Sky is Cold, Winter Comes” (Dec 07 – Dec 13)

A Seasonal Event: Daiko-Daki

Daiko-Daki, which roughly translates to burning Japanese radish, is an annual event held in temples around Kyoto.  During this event, people gather to eat boiled daikon radishes served with fried tofu. 

Depending on the day and the temple you visit, the significance of this event may vary.  For example, on December 7 and 8 at the Daihoon-ji Temple, Daiko-Daki is used to celebrate the enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha.  However, on December 9 and 10 at Ryotoku-ji Temple in Narutaki, the event is considered a day of gratitude (Hoon-Ko). ^(5,6)

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Astronomical Season

December 10, the last day of week 49, is 78 days past the autumn equinox (Sept 23, 2023) and only 11 days until the winter solstice (December 21, 2023). This means we are still in astronomical autumn for another 11 days. 

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Meteorological Season

The beginning of December means that we have entered meteorological winter. 

The meteorological seasons are based on annual temperature cycles and change about every 90 days. These changes coincide with the months of the Gregorian calendar. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, meteorological spring is March, April, and May; meteorological summer is June, July, and August; meteorological fall is September, October, and November; and meteorological winter includes December, January, and February.  

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Seasonal Haiku 

In The Five Hundred Essential Japanese Season Words as selected by Kenkichi Yamamoto, December is considered mid-winter.  Some potential “plant” kigo for mid-winter are Japanese (daikon) radish and turnip.  A few potential “heavens” kigo are snow and snowflakes.

In Jane Reichhold’s A Dictionary of Haiku, a few relevant “plant” kigo are winter bushes and onions.  A couple of potential ‘celestial” kigo are snowing and snowflakes.

Now, with all this in mind, let’s read some haiku.

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Basho

When the winter chrysanthemums go, 
there's nothing to write about 
but radishes. 
(translated by Robert Hass)

in the saddle
the small boy rides 
an uprooted radish
(translated by Jane Reichhold) 

a samurai gathering: 
pungent as a radish is 
their talk. 
(translated by David Landis Barnhill) 

Issa

morning after morning
damn roasted radishes!
winter seclusion
(translated by David G. Lanoue)

winter arrives
at my hut...
a scrawny radish
(translated by David G. Lanoue)

Reichhold

all their halos
falling in the soup
onions

Shiki

white dew;
over the potato field
Milky Way
(translated by R.H. Blyth)

Kyoshi

growing older–
more of this haiku,
more turnip soup
(retrieved from Rosenstock's Haiku Enlightenment)

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Haiku invitation

This week’s haiku invitation is to write a haiku or senryu referencing “root vegetables”.

Share your haiku in the comments below, or post on your own page and link back to this post. I can’t wait to read what you write!  

To celebrate all the great haiku written for these prompts, I have started sharing one haiku from the week on my Instagram page. Please include your name as you would like it included in an Instagram post and your Instagram address (if you have one) so I can tag you.  If your haiku is selected for the week, I will let you know via the comments.   

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Thank You!

About the Haiku

Basho’s haiku were retrieved from “Matsuo Bashō’s haiku poems in romanized Japanese with English translations” Editor: Gábor Terebess.  Issa’s haiku were retrieved from David G. Lanoue’s Haiku Guy.  Jane Reichhold’s haiku were retrieved from Dictionary of Haiku.  Shiki’s haiku was retrieved from Haiku vol. IV (Autumn-Winter) by R.H. Blyth.  Kyoshi’s haiku was retrieved from Haiku Enlightenment by Gabriel Rosenstock

References

1. “24 Solar Terms”; ChinaHighlights.com
2. “24 Solar Terms: 6 things you may not know about Major Snow”; ChinaDaily.com
3. Lanzhi, Xu. The 21st Solar Term – Heavy Snow. Tianjin University
4. “Japan’s 72 Microseasons”; Nippon.com
5. 72 Seasons App
6. Daiko-daki (burning Japanese radish); Japanesewiki.com