What four solar terms does autumn dew represent?

Autumn dew in autumn refers to the four solar terms of beginning of autumn, Chushu, Bailu and Vernal Equinox.

Beginning of Autumn

"Stand" means the beginning, and "Autumn" means the period when the summer solstice is cool and the crops are ripe.

Beginning of autumn said that the hot summer gradually receded and the weather became cool, which meant the beginning of autumn.

Every year around August 8th in Gregorian calendar, when the sun reaches 135, it is beginning of autumn.

Beginning of autumn, the thirteenth of the twenty-four solar terms, is also the first solar term in autumn, marking the official start of the Qiu Meng season.

The beginning of autumn customs

Weigh water

In the past, people filled containers of the same size with water before and after beginning of autumn and weighed them. If there is more water in front of beginning of autumn, it means there is more water, so there will be less rain in autumn; If there is a lot of water behind beginning of autumn, there will be more rain in autumn, which may lead to autumn waterlogging. Fishermen also have the habit of calling water in beginning of autumn, and guess the fluctuation of autumn water according to the water quality.

Chew autumn

"Eating autumn" is also called "biting autumn" in some places. Tianjin pays attention to eating watermelon or cantaloupe in beginning of autumn, which is called "biting autumn", which means that it is hot in summer, and you will take a bite when you arrive in beginning of autumn. In Zhejiang and other places, beginning of autumn eats watermelon and soju every day, which is believed by the people to prevent malaria.

Stick autumn fertilizer

People generally weigh themselves in early autumn and compare them with those in long summer. Because in summer, people lose their appetite, eat less and lose a little weight, which is called "bitter summer". With the autumn wind, I have a big appetite and want to eat something good to make up for the loss in summer. The remedy is to "paste autumn fertilizer": to eat delicious food, of course, meat is the first choice, the so-called "paste autumn fertilizer with meat"

The heat is over

Summer is around August 23rd of the Gregorian calendar every year. The summer solar term means that the temperature drops gradually, and most parts of the country enter autumn.

Summer is a solar term reflecting the temperature change. "Chu" means termination, which means that the heat is about to pass and the heat will end on this day. The temperature has gradually dropped in most parts of the country.

In ancient times, the summer heat was divided into three stages: "The eagle is a sacrificial bird; Second, wait for the beginning of heaven and earth; Three Hou Wonaideng. " In this solar term, eagles began to prey on birds in large numbers; Everything between heaven and earth began to wither; "Henaideng" refers to millet, millet, rice and sorghum crops, and "Deng" means maturity.

Summer custom

River lantern: mourn the dead and pray for peace.

It is said that the custom of putting river lanterns can be traced back to the fishing and hunting times. At that time, people sailed out to sea and went down to the lake. In order to avoid the storm, when crossing dangerous shoals and reefs or encountering strong winds and waves, they made boats with bamboo boards, put in sacrifices, lit candles, made sails with colored paper, let them drift in the water, and prayed for peace to Poseidon.

Fishing Festival: Bagels compete to catch seafood.

During the summer vacation every year, the annual grand fishing festival and grand fishing ceremony will be held along the coast of Zhejiang Province to send fishermen out to sea. Shipu fishermen have always had the custom of "stepping on the beach on March 3" and "offering sacrifices to the sea", among which "offering sacrifices to the sea" is a ceremony held by fishermen to ensure safety and harvest when they go fishing in the sea.

Eat duck meat: moisten the lungs and strengthen the spleen, no disease.

The arrival of "hot summer" means that the hot summer is gradually turning into cool autumn. The weather temperature difference increases, and the days are warm and the nights are cool. At this time, the diet should follow the principle of moistening the lungs and strengthening the spleen, and often eat foods that clear away heat, promote fluid production and nourish yin.

Face: Go home, longan porridge.

There is a saying in Fuzhou called "Look at the face in midsummer". "CuO" refers to the big houses of rich people in the city. "Cuo" means to see your home in the city, which means that everyone who goes out for the summer will go home. This sentence reflects the lifestyle of the old Fuzhou people in the past. When the "hot summer" comes, the "hot summer" will pass. After summer, people's diet and daily life will change.

Worship the land: sacrifice and worship, flag planting and gratitude

The summer solar term coincides with the harvest season of crops, and farmers hold various ceremonies to thank the land god. Some kill animals to worship in the land temple, some plant flags in the middle of the fields to express their gratitude, and some go home from work on this day without washing their feet, lest the harvest be washed away.

Welcome autumn: Travel to welcome autumn

After summer, autumn is getting stronger, which is a good time for people to swim in the countryside to welcome autumn scenery. After the heat, even the clouds in the sky seem to be evacuated and free, unlike the thick clouds in the heat. There has always been a saying among the people that "seeing a clever cloud in July and August" means "going out to welcome autumn".

Ancestor worship: build a solitary shed and rob orphans.

Around the summer vacation, there are ancestor worship activities commonly known as "July 30th" or "Mid-Autumn Festival". From the beginning of July, there will be a ceremony to open the gate of hell, and until the gate of hell closes at the end of the month, Purdue giving will be held. It is said that Purdue activities began with the opening of the gate of hell, followed by the erection of lanterns and the release of river lanterns, leading to lonely souls and wild ghosts; The main body is to build Pudu altar, build solitary shed, and intervene in robbing orphans. Finally, it ends with closing the gate of hell.

Eating longan: tonify autumn, blood and qi.

When the "summer heat" comes, the "summer heat" is over. Old Fuzhou no longer drinks herbal tea after the heat, but eats more things that "replenish qi" and "replenish blood". Old Fuzhou used to eat longan, peeled and soaked in porridge.

It is reasonable to drink less herbal tea and eat more longan after the hot summer. At this time, pay attention to "invigorating qi" and "enriching blood" and avoid eating cold food; At the same time, longan is warm, beneficial to the heart and spleen, tonifying qi and blood, and has the effect of invigorating qi, which is beneficial to eat in this solar term; However, the diet should not be too rigid, and it is not stipulated that this solar term must eat longan porridge. Many people can eat like this at ordinary times, which is good.

White Dew

The meaning of the Millennium solar terms is that the temperature difference between day and night is large, the weather is getting colder and the cool autumn is coming.

The Millennium is the15th solar term among the 24 solar terms, and it is also the third solar term in autumn, marking the end of the Meng and Qiu seasons and the beginning of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls from September 7 to 9 in the Gregorian calendar.

Traditional customs of Millennium solar terms

Clear dew

China folks have the custom of "picking clean dew" in the Millennium solar terms. In Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica in the Ming Dynasty, it was recorded: "When the autumn dew is numerous, it is gathered on a plate and fried like rice, which makes people not hungry for many years." "The autumn dew on the head of a hundred herbs is collected when it is not embarrassing. The more sick you are, the thirst will be quenched, and people will be light and hungry. " Thus, dew-clearing has become the most special "ceremony" in the Millennium.

Drink Bailu tea

Bailu tea is tea picked in Bailu season. There is a folk saying that "spring tea is bitter, summer tea is astringent, tea is needed, and autumn dew". At this time, after the summer heat, the tea tree is just another growth period before and after the Millennium.

Eat sweet potatoes

Sweet potato is rich in protein, starch, pectin, cellulose, amino acids, vitamins and various minerals, and its sugar content reaches 15% ~ 20%. It has anti-cancer, heart protection, prevention of emphysema, diabetes, weight loss and other effects. Chinese medicine regards sweet potato as a good medicine and has the reputation of "longevity food".

Eat longan

There is a traditional custom in Fuzhou, Fujian called "longan must be eaten for thousands of years". Folk means that eating longan on the day of the Millennium has a miraculous effect of greatly supplementing the body.

Autumn Equinox

Twenty-four solar terms: "in mid-February, half a minute, that is, 90 days and a half, so it is called minutes." Autumn is synonymous. " Han Dong's book "Up and Down of Yin and Yang in Qiu Qiu and Fan Lu": "As for the Mid-Autumn Festival, the sun is in the east and the yin is in the west, which is called the autumnal equinox. The autumn equinox is half yin and half yang, so it is cold and hot. " According to the lunar calendar, "beginning of autumn" is the beginning of autumn and ends with "the first frost", and the "vernal equinox" is just half of the 90-day journey from beginning of autumn to the first frost. September 23rd or 24th of the Gregorian calendar is one of the twenty-four solar terms of traditional festivals in China. At the autumnal equinox, "fen" means "half". At the autumnal equinox, the world is as long as day and night. After the autumnal equinox, the days are getting shorter and shorter in the northern hemisphere, and the nights are getting longer and longer in the southern hemisphere. China's ancient book "Spring and Autumn Stories, Yin and Yang in and out" said: "The autumn equinox, Yin and Yang are also half-phase, so it is cold and summer day and night.

The traditional custom of autumnal equinox

Sacrifice the moon in autumn

The autumnal equinox used to be the traditional "Festival of Sacrificing the Moon". For example, in ancient times, there was a saying that "the sun is sacrificed in spring and the moon is sacrificed in autumn". Now Mid-Autumn Festival comes from the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. According to textual research, the original "Moon Festival" was set on the day of "Autumn Equinox", but there is not always a full moon because of the different days of August in the lunar calendar every year. And the moon without the moon is a big spoil the fun. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival was later transferred from the Equinox to the Mid-Autumn Festival.

According to historical records, as early as the Zhou Dynasty, ancient emperors had the custom of offering sacrifices to the sun at the vernal equinox, to the earth at the summer solstice, to the moon at the autumnal equinox, and to heaven at the winter solstice. Its places of worship are called Ritan, Ditan, Yuetan and Tiantan. It is located in four directions: southeast and northwest. So far, there are many historical sites in China, such as Yue Bai Altar, Moon Pavilion and Moon Tower. The folk custom of offering sacrifices to the moon varies from region to region.

The "Moon Altar" in Beijing was built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, and was used for royal sacrifice to the moon. "The Year of China in Beijing" records the custom of offering sacrifices to the moon in Beijing, saying: "On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, people set up the symbol of the Moon Palace, and rabbits stood on it like people; Chen Guaguo was in court; The cake surface is painted with the moon palace toad rabbit; Men and women worship incense and burn it. " There is also a special custom of offering sacrifices to the moon in Beijing, that is, "Men don't offer sacrifices to the moon, but worship more", that is, as the folk proverb says, "Men don't Yue Bai".

The custom of offering sacrifices to the moon in Hangzhou is slightly similar to that in Beijing, but it is called "Ramadan Palace". "Every household has a bottle of orchids, incense sticks and looks up at the sky. Yue Bai, a young child, is called Ramadan Palace. " The offerings given by the people to the little god of wealth are full, as well as desks, several cases, dishes, clothes, musical instruments, etc., which are all reduced to inches, commonly known as "knickknacks".

Worship a woodcarving rockhopper and Shimonoseki moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Guangdong. In some places in the south, there is a custom of offering taro. Legend has it that the peasant uprising at the end of the Yuan Dynasty overthrew the rule of the Yuan Dynasty, and the heads of the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty were used to worship the moon. Because the sound of "yuan" is similar to "impression", people later used "impression" instead.

There used to be an old saying in Nanchang that "men don't Yue Bai, women don't offer sacrifices to stoves". That is to say, in Yue Bai, men can't participate, because in ancient times, there was a concept that men were superior to women and men couldn't kneel down to women. Chang 'e in the Moon Palace is a woman. She is very feminine, so men can't take part in Yue Bai.

Vertical egg

When the autumnal equinox comes, eggs are beautiful. Every spring or autumn equinox, tens of millions of people in many parts of China are doing "vertical egg" experiments. Choose a "symmetrical" fresh egg and put it softly on the table. Although there are many losers and many winners, the erected eggs are beautiful.

Why do eggs stand easily at the vernal equinox or autumn equinox? Different people have given different opinions. Some people think that the vernal equinox and autumnal equinox are days with the same length of day and night in the northern and southern hemispheres, and the earth axis and the orbital plane are in a state of relative stress balance, so eggs are more likely to stand upright. Others say that the sunny weather in the spring and autumn equinox is conducive to the success of "vertical egg", which makes people feel comfortable, quick-thinking and agile.

Some experts say that eggs can really stand up, and they are not limited to the vernal equinox and autumn equinox. These two days, the position of the earth in the solar system is nothing special. The key to the success of "vertical egg" lies in the eggshell. The surface of the egg is uneven, with many protruding "hills". According to the principle that three points form a triangle and three points define a plane, as long as three "hills" and the triangle formed by these three "hills" are found and the center of gravity of the egg passes through the triangle, then the egg can stand upright. In addition, it is best to choose eggs that have been laid for four or five days, because at this time, the yolk of the egg sinks and the center of gravity of the egg drops, which is most conducive to "vertical eggs".

Eat autumn vegetables

In Lingnan area, Xie's family in Cangzhen, Kaiping used to be four cities (now Heshan is five cities), and there is an unbroken custom called "eating autumn vegetables at the autumnal equinox". "Autumn vegetable" is a kind of wild amaranth, which villagers call "autumn Artemisia". On the autumnal equinox, the whole village went to pick autumn vegetables. When searching in the wild, it is often green and thin, about the length of a palm. Picked autumn vegetables are usually boiled with fish fillets at home, which is called "autumn soup". There is a jingle: "autumn soup is dirty, wash the liver and intestines." The whole family is safe and healthy. "Since autumn, people still pray for peace and health at home.

Amaranth contains many nutrients. Rich carotene and vitamin C help to enhance human immune function and improve the anti-cancer effect of human body. Fried amaranth has the effects of detoxification, diuresis, analgesia and eyesight improvement. Eating it can enhance the ability of disease prevention, be healthy and less sick, and moisturize and beautify. It is suitable for dysentery, conjunctival congestion, sparrow blindness, breast abscess, hemorrhoids and other diseases.

In fact, the so-called "autumn soup" in Lingnan customs is consistent with the autumn tonic advocated by Chinese medicine, but Lingnan customs are typical and a little rustic, and have not risen to the height of Chinese medicine theory.

worship

The folk festivals around the autumnal equinox are: February 15 is Zhang Kai's birthday; Wang Sheng, also known as "Chen", was a warrior in the Tang Dynasty, who made contributions to Zhangzhou and became the patron saint of Zhangzhou after his death. February 19 is the birthday of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Every birthday, many believers will go to Guanyin Temple to worship. On February 25th, Sanshan King Sacrifice Day: Sanshan King refers to Dushan, Mingshan, Jinshan and other mountain gods in Jieyang County, Chaozhou Prefecture, Guangdong Province. In the early years, Chaozhou Hakka immigrants were patrons in autumn, so the believers were mainly Hakkas.

Send autumn cattle

The autumnal equinox is coming soon, and people will send pictures of autumn cows door to door. The picture is printed with red paper or yellow paper on the lunar solar terms all the year round, and also printed with farmers' ploughing patterns, which is called "Autumn Cattle Map". The pictures are all folk singers, who mainly say things like good luck in autumn ploughing that do not violate the farming season. Every time they go to a house, they say whatever they see until the owner is happy to give money. Although the words spoken are casual, every sentence rhymes beautifully. Commonly known as "Autumn", Qiu Ren is called "Qiu Guan".

Sticking sparrow's mouth

According to custom, farmers have a holiday on the autumn equinox. Every family should eat dumplings. Ten, twenty or thirty dumplings that don't need to be wrapped are cooked, and a thin bamboo fork is placed on the outdoor ridge beside the field, which is called sticking the sparrow's mouth without destroying crops.

Of course, it is only the farmers' beautiful imagination and desire to stick dumplings on sparrows' mouths, but it also illustrates the truth that dumplings are sticky, difficult to digest and should not be eaten more. Tangyuan is mainly made of glutinous rice with other ingredients. Glutinous rice is warm and sweet, and the added ingredients are often high in sugar and calories. Eating a small amount in spring and cold season is helpful to replenish body heat energy, tonify deficiency, regulate blood, strengthen yang and strengthen spleen. But glutinous rice is sticky and difficult to digest, and it is easy to accumulate food if you eat too much. Paired with spicy food such as onion and garlic, it can balance the flagging effect of glutinous rice balls.

The autumn equinox is also a good time for children to fly kites. Especially at the autumnal equinox. Even adults are involved. Kites are divided into Wang Zi Kite, Silver Carp Kite, Myxomoth Kite, Leigong Kite and Moon Light Kite. The biggest kite is two meters high, and the smallest one is two or three feet. There are kites on the market, many of which are smaller than others' and suitable for children to play with, but most of them are posted by themselves, and the bigger ones have to compete with each other to see which one flies high.