Today is Usu(우수, 雨水), “The First Rainfall of the Year,” so the worst of winter has now passed and we can begin to emerge from our winter hibernations across the northern hemisphere.
Usu, Feb. 19, marks the beginning of the second of 24 solar terms of the year. Ipchun on Feb. 4 was the formal beginning of spring by the traditional lunar calendar, which also marked the beginning of the first of the 24 solar terms of the year.
Today’s Usu literally means, “Rain Water,” though a more generous translation is, “The First Rainfall of the Year.”
Usu, the beginning of the second solar term of the year, falls on Feb. 19 this year. It marks the traditional boundary snowfall and rainfall.
It marks the shift in late winter when there is traditionally less snow and more rain. The trails will be muddy with melting runoff, but head to the hills and mountains across the peninsula to witness nature first-hand and the early beginnings of life’s return to bloom.
There’s a saying that goes, “The Daedonggang River thaws after Usu and Gyeongchip,” which falls on March 5 this year. The Daedonggang River flows through Pyongyang and drains into the Yellow Sea. With this saying, we know good weather is just around the corner.
During Usu, the second solar term of the year, it’s said that the Daedonggang River finally thaws. The Hangang River in Seoul, too, thaws during this time of year.
Finally, as the Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture (한국세시풍속사전) points out, “The ancient Chinese divided the 15 days following Usu into three five-day periods, associating them with various seasonal activities or phenomena. The first five days were a period during which otters were supposed to begin hunting or fishing. The next five-day period was characterized by the northward flight of wild geese. The last five days were associated with the flourishing of plants and flowers.” So we’re beyond the worst of the winter, the sun will begin to melt the snow, the rivers will flow deeper and faster and the animals will return across the Korean Peninsula.
So we’re beyond the worst of the winter, the sun will begin to melt the snow, the rivers will flow deeper and faster and the animals will return across the Korean Peninsula.
By Gregory C. Eaves
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Jeon Han
gceaves@korea.kr
