expression, noun
seasonal greeting; conventional opening phrase in a letter
A set phrase used at the beginning of formal letters to acknowledge the current season before moving to the main topic. Common in business correspondence and traditional personal letters.
手紙の冒頭には時候の挨拶を書くのが礼儀です。
It is polite to write a seasonal greeting at the beginning of a letter.
時候の挨拶として「春暖の候」などが使われます。
Phrases like 'shun-dan no kō' are used as seasonal greetings.
Compound of 時候 (season, time of year) and 挨拶 (greeting). A fixed expression from traditional letter-writing etiquette.