Sohan (the beginning of the severest cold) and taehan (the height of the winter cold), two last 24 seasonal divisions, fall on January, the coldest month of the year.

   Sohan falls on January 6 or 7 of the solar calendar every year. Folks said that the cold of winter begins at this time and continues until taehan, the coldest time of the winter. However, there is a saying that “Taehan went to the sohan’s house and was frozen to death.”, and this shows that the coldness of sohan is as bitter as that of taehan.

   Taehan which means of the coldest time of the year falls on January 20 or 21 of the solar calendar every year and it is the last of the 24 seasonal divisions.

   Since the early times, our people regarded the agriculture as the foundation of everything under the sky and they worked earnestly for the preparation of farming of that year making ropes, weaving straw baskets inside the house and gathering compost in January, the season of sohan and taehan, suited to the seasonal character.

   After taehan, people did up indoors and outdoors neat and tidy so as to celebrate the lunar New Year’s Day in clean environment. Women prepared clothing and materials of food for the lunar New Year’s Day.

   In this season, our people used to prepare and enjoy hot dishes like beanpaste soup and stew casserole. Among the dishes, “Pyongyang Onban” in which a mung-bean pancake, panbroiled mushroom and seasoned chicken is put on the rice and hot chicken soup is poured and the spiced soy sauce, finely chopped fried-egg, salt with parched sesame and pepper is sprinkled on the top was famous for its peculiar flavour.

   Also, at this time of the year, various folk games such as yut-game, seesaw, kite-flying and sleigh-riding were popular in our country.

   The above facts show that since early times our people have created diligent and various customs suited to the seasonal characters and handed them down from generation to generation.