What is the meaning of summer solstice?

What is the meaning of the summer solstice?

What is the meaning of the summer solstice? When we chat with people, we will inevitably hear the word summer solstice, but many people don’t know the specific meaning of summer solstice. I have collected and organized relevant information about the meaning of the summer solstice for everyone, let’s find out together. What is the meaning of the summer solstice 1

The summer solstice is one of the twenty-four solar terms, falling on June 21 or 22 of the Gregorian calendar every year. On the summer solstice, the sun moves to 90 degrees of longitude (in the constellation Gemini). The sun reaches the northernmost position of the year, almost directly hitting the Tropic of Cancer. At this time, the northern hemisphere has the longest sunshine time. In the Beijing area, daylight hours can be as long as 15 hours. The Northern Hemisphere gets the most sunlight on this day, nearly twice as much as the Southern Hemisphere.

Astronomy experts say that the summer solstice is the turning point of the sun. After this day, it will "turn back", the point of direct sunlight will begin to move southward, and the days in the northern hemisphere will become shorter day by day.

The summer solstice is the earliest identified solar term among the twenty-four solar terms. In the seventh century BC, ancestors used Tugui to measure the shadow of the sun and determined the summer solstice. The summer solstice starts on June 21st (or 22nd) and ends on July 7th (or 8th) every year. According to the "Kezunxiandu Manuscript": "The sun reaches the north, the day is long, and the shadow is short, so it is called the summer solstice. The solstice is the extreme." On the summer solstice, the sun's direct position on the ground reaches the northernmost point of the year. , almost directly hitting the Tropic of Cancer (23°26 North Latitude), the daytime in the Northern Hemisphere is the longest, and the days get longer as you go north. For example, the day length in Haikou City in Hainan is a little more than 13 hours, Hangzhou is 14 hours, Beijing is about 15 hours, and Mohe in Heilongjiang is up to more than 17 hours. After the summer solstice, the position where the sun shines directly on the ground gradually moves southward, and the days in the northern hemisphere gradually shorten. There is a folk saying that "if you eat summer solstice noodles, your life will be shorter every day". At this time, it is the middle of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. What is the meaning of the summer solstice 2

The meaning of the summer solstice

There is actually no absurd legend about the summer solstice, but it is the earliest identified solar term among the twenty-four solar terms. In the seventh century BC, ancestors adopted it and determined the summer solstice. The way to measure the sun's shadow in Tugui is like this. Under the sun's rays, stand a pole and see the length of the pole's shadow on Tugui. The ancients comprehensively ensured the scientific rationality of the twenty-four solar terms through the sun, moon, stars, phenological characteristics, and standard photometry.

Through Tugui photometry, we know that the summer solstice is the day with the longest day and the shortest night of the year, so the summer solstice is also called the day length solstice. The summer solstice falls on June 21 or 22 of the Gregorian calendar every year. "Xia" is the season, and "solstice" is the arrival, which means that the hottest summer has arrived.

Summer Solstice Customs

Summer Solstice Noodles

The custom of eating cold noodles during the Summer Solstice Festival is the most popular Han custom in the Zhou Dynasty. There is a proverb: "Winter Solstice Wonton Summer Solstice Noodles" ”, why should we eat Xia Zhi noodles? That’s because during the Summer Solstice, new wheat has just appeared, and newly ground flour has just come on the market. Therefore, eating noodles during the Summer Solstice also means trying something new, and the new noodles at the Summer Solstice are the most fragrant.

Old Beijing’s favorite noodles during the Summer Solstice

With the return of folk customs, all noodle restaurants in Beijing are very popular on the Summer Solstice. Whether it is Sichuan cold noodles, Dandan noodles, braised pork noodles, fried noodles, etc., all kinds of noodles are "best sellers". Because according to the customs of old Beijing, you can eat lettuce and cold noodles every year during the summer solstice. At this time, the climate is hot, and eating some raw and cold food can reduce the heat and stimulate the appetite without damaging your health due to the cold.

Some people also like to eat hot noodles in the scorching summer. It is called "Guo Tiao'er", which is said to have the meaning of "warding off evil". Eating hot noodles is to drive away evil and sweat more to eliminate evil in the human body. Trapped moisture and heat. In northwest China, such as Shaanxi, rice dumplings are eaten during the summer solstice, and chrysanthemum is used as ashes to prevent wheat from being attacked by insects. In the south, farmers roll the dough into pancakes, bake them, and stuff them with vegetables, bean pods, tofu and bacon. They are eaten after worshiping ancestors or given to relatives and friends.

Summer Solstice Customs

1. Sacrifice to gods and ancestors

2. Spend the summer and avoid disasters

3. "Summer Solstice" food

There are no absurd legends about the Summer Solstice. Instead, it condenses the wisdom of the ancients and uses scientific theories to determine the Summer Solstice, making it the earliest determined solar term among the twenty-four solar terms. In addition, we can also learn that different places have different customs and habits on the summer solstice.