Kigo

Kigo (season word(s), from the Japanese 季語, kigo) are words or phrases that are generally associated with a particular season. Kigo were originally used in the longer linked-verse form known as renga, and especially in the opening verse of a renga, the hokku, to indicate the season when the stanza is set. They are valuable in providing an economy of expression for the very short Japanese poetry known as haiku to indicate the season in which the poem is set.