What does the autumnal equinox mean? The origin and custom of solar terms in autumnal equinox.

As we all know, there are 24 solar terms in a year, and each season has many different solar terms. Today is the autumnal equinox on 23rd, so what does the autumnal equinox mean? What are the origins and customs of the autumnal equinox solar terms?

What does the autumnal equinox mean?

The equinox solar term means the middle of autumn. The sixteenth solar term in the twenty-four solar terms of the lunar calendar is usually from September 22nd to 24th every year. Its climate is characterized by gradually decreasing temperature and increasing temperature difference between day and night, with an average temperature between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius. On this day, the sun reached longitude 180 degrees and hit the equator of the earth directly. Therefore, in most parts of the earth, 24 hours are divided equally, each being 12 hours. At the autumnal equinox, the main farm work is autumn harvest, autumn ploughing and autumn planting. Winter wheat is planted in North China. In the southern region and the Yangtze River basin, it is harvesting wheat and transforming the land. Autumn equinox solar terms, not only in the north, but also in most parts of the south, began to enter autumn, and the summer heat quickly subsided.

Origin and custom of solar terms in autumnal equinox

The ancients set it up to guide life and agricultural production. The autumnal equinox is one of the 24 solar terms. The original intention of the 24 solar terms is that our ancestors artificially guided life and agricultural production. According to years of research and calculation, the 24 solar terms determined are gradually established as the 24 solar terms we are familiar with according to the seasons and characteristics, and so is the origin of the autumnal equinox. The autumnal equinox solar term is the fourth solar term in autumn, which means equal share. Therefore, in ancient times, when I started in autumn, there were grand celebrations, and now it is mainly concentrated in places far away from the city. Moreover, the autumnal equinox solar terms are also called "China Farmers Harvest Festival", and activities to celebrate the harvest are held every year. The autumnal equinox solar term is located on the ninetieth day of autumn, in the middle of autumn, which means to divide autumn equally. On the day of the autumnal equinox, the sun reaches the longitude 180 (autumnal equinox), almost reaching the equator of the earth, and the length of day and night in the world is equal. After that, the daytime time will be obviously shortened, the evening time will be gradually extended, and the climate will become much more comfortable.

The latest autumn progress map: where is autumn?

Since the beginning of the annual equinox solar term, the frontier of China in autumn has crossed the Huaihe River and reached central Anhui, central Jiangsu and central Hubei. However, this year's autumn process is relatively late. Until the eve of the autumnal equinox, the footsteps of autumn are still wandering in North China, and southern Hebei and other places have not yet entered autumn. Compared with normal years, some areas in Beijing and Hebei entered autumn later this year, and some areas in central and eastern Henan, northern Jiangsu, northern Anhui, Hubei, Shandong and other places have already entered autumn later. The national autumn progress map released by China Weather Network shows that as of September 22nd, China's autumn territory covers most of the northwest, Inner Mongolia, Northeast China, North China and Southwest China, among which the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Northeast Inner Mongolia and Northwest Heilongjiang have even entered winter. In big cities, Harbin, Changchun, Shenyang, Hohhot, Urumqi, Lanzhou, Yinchuan, Taiyuan, Xi 'an and other places have entered autumn. Shi Yan, a meteorologist from China Weather Network, said that the subtropical high was very strong this year. On the eve of the National Day, the autumn tiger is still "entrenched" in Jiangnan, South China and other places. The Yangtze River basin, which should have completed the transformation from summer to autumn in the autumn equinox all year round, may enter autumn later.

What food do you eat in the autumn equinox and solar terms?

Autumn vegetables: In Lingnan area, there is a custom in Xiezhen, Kaiping that continues to this day, which is called "eating autumn vegetables at the autumn equinox". This town used to be four cities (now Heshan is the five cities). "Autumn vegetable" is a kind of wild amaranth, which villagers call "autumn Artemisia".

Tangyuan: On the autumnal equinox, people in some places have the custom of eating tangyuan. Tangyuan is mainly made of glutinous rice and other ingredients, and the added ingredients are often high in sugar and calories, which is helpful to supplement human heat, tonify deficiency, regulate blood, strengthen yang and strengthen spleen.

Crab: The autumnal equinox season is the most plump and nourishing time for crab meat. Crab is a valuable aquatic product with tender and delicious meat. Not only that, crabs also have extremely high nutritional value. Their protein content is several times higher than that of pork and fish, and they are rich in nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin A. ..