寒假(hán jià) - winter holiday in Mandarin

寒假 (hánjià) is the winter holiday, the break built around Chinese New Year. 寒 (hán) means "cold", the same character in 寒冷 (hánlěng), "cold, frigid", and 假 (jià) is "holiday", exactly as in 暑假 (shǔjià), "summer holiday".

Because it wraps around 春节 (Chūnjié), Chinese New Year, 寒假 (hánjià) tends to be shorter than 暑假 (shǔjià) but comes loaded with family visits, reunion dinners, and fireworks rather than just free time. Schools usually schedule it for late January into February.

英语 (Yīngyǔ, English) learners sometimes translate this too literally as "cold holiday", which sounds odd in English. "Winter holiday" or "winter break" is the natural rendering, since the holiday is defined by the season and the New Year, not simply by low temperatures.