What are the four seasons and eight festivals?

Four seasons and eight seasons refer to four seasons and eight solar terms in a year: beginning of spring, vernal equinox, long summer, summer solstice, beginning of autumn, autumnal equinox, beginning of winter and winter solstice, but usually four seasons and eight seasons refer to all solar terms in a year.

Spring rain shocks spring and clear valley days, summer is full of mountains and summer is connected with heat, autumn dew is cold and frost, and winter snow drifts.

This is the twenty-four solar terms in a year, which is usually summarized by four seasons and eight festivals. It is also said that the four seasons and eight festivals popular in folk customs refer to Shangyuan Festival, Huachao Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Changxia Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Zhongyuan Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Double Ninth Festival.

Shangyuan Festival refers to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. As soon as this day passes, it means that the New Year holiday is coming to an end. On the fifteenth day of the first month, there is a custom of watching lanterns everywhere. Every household should prepare a sumptuous banquet and eat jiaozi, which means reunion. There is also the custom of stealing lights in the countryside. When I was young, the old people would knead the rough dough into the shape of a candlestick, pour kerosene, light it and put it in the yard, waiting for groups of children to steal it, symbolizing happiness and peace.