Why does beginning of autumn eat watermelon? What should he pay attention to?

In early autumn, there will be many different customs and activities to welcome beginning of autumn. One of them is eating watermelon. So, why eat watermelon in early autumn? What should I pay attention to when eating watermelon? Next, let's take a look at this issue of food culture!

You may be interested: 2020 is a lucky day to get a license.

Why does beginning of autumn eat watermelon? Get rid of the evil in early autumn and nourish the five internal organs.

In China, there is a custom of "eating autumn" on the day of beginning of autumn, that is, eating watermelon on the day of beginning of autumn means eating watermelon to get rid of the summer heat and eating autumn tigers to welcome the cool autumn.

In early autumn, according to traditional customs, people should eat watermelon, which can not only cool off the heat, but also avoid diarrhea in winter and the next spring. Legend has it that one year in the Ming Dynasty, many people in Nanjing got boils, so some people followed the story of Cui Xianggong's daughter who ate melons and let the boils heal themselves. As a result, the boil really healed.

Therefore, people eat more watermelons in autumn to prevent autumn dryness and form a custom for a long time. The Records of the Capital published in the Republic of China recorded: "beginning of autumn ate watermelon the day before, which is called gnawing autumn." It also means welcoming the arrival of autumn.

According to "Baner Qiuyuzhai Essay", women in the western regions choose to touch melons in the fields at the beginning of autumn night, which is called "touching autumn". It may be related to the shape of watermelon like a pregnant woman's stomach. Melon has a son, which symbolizes having a son. In the custom of China, "melon" is always closely related to reproduction.

It is said that ripe melons can be touched in autumn, which indicates that girls can find good husbands and women can have more sons. In order to ensure a good touch of melons, melons are generally placed in a certain position during the day and women are allowed to "touch" at night. At this time, "touching the autumn" is like a divination activity. With the expansion of watermelon planting, people in the city began to eat watermelon in early autumn.

You may be interested in establishing an auspicious day in 2020.

There is another origin, which is more credible and scientific: although watermelons were introduced into the Central Plains from the Song Dynasty, they were not widely planted, so the custom of eating watermelons in beginning of autumn did not form at that time. However, in the western region, in the origin of watermelon, the custom of eating watermelon in beginning of autumn is prevalent. Because the Western Regions are located in the northwest of China, and the latitude is high, watermelons have just entered the picking period around beginning of autumn, so it is an early adopter to eat watermelons in beginning of autumn.

This custom influenced the south in Qing Dynasty, when watermelons in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai had entered the final market. People gave various explanations for why beginning of autumn ate watermelons. Some people say that eating watermelon in beginning of autumn can eliminate the stagnant air accumulated in summer, while others say that it can accumulate "prestige" for winter. In fact, it is only the influence of northern customs. However, it should be admitted that after beginning of autumn, the weather became colder and the number of watermelons on the market decreased. People eat watermelon again in early autumn, which means saying goodbye.

You may be interested: travel on auspicious day of the ecliptic in 2020.

Matters needing attention in eating watermelon

1, spleen and stomach deficiency and cold

Because watermelon is cold, it is not good for the spleen and stomach. People who encounter cold food and are prone to diarrhea must pay attention to eating less watermelons, especially iced watermelons, so as to avoid gastrointestinal discomfort.

2. People during a cold

People with wind-heat cold or wind-cold cold cold, during the cold period, because the body is still in the weak stage, and the coldness of watermelon will cause certain harm to the body, eating a lot of watermelon during this period is easy to make the body recover for a longer time.

3. Special population

For diabetics, you can eat some watermelons in moderation, but be careful not to eat too much. Generally, it is advisable to eat 25 to 50 grams at a time. In addition, for menstrual women, it is best not to eat watermelon, so as not to aggravate the coldness.