What are the customs of the vernal equinox?

The vernal equinox is one of the traditional 24 solar terms in China, which usually occurs around March 20th every year. It marks the official start of spring, with equal length of day and night, warmer weather and warmer earth. In China, the vernal equinox has many colorful customs. Here are some common ones:

1. Take a walk and enjoy flowers: At the vernal equinox, nature begins to wake up and everything recovers. People like to enjoy flowers, especially in parks, mountains or suburbs to enjoy the beauty of spring and feel the vitality of nature.

2. Playing the spring: Playing the spring is an ancient folk activity, mainly by tapping the body with wicker or other soft things to drive away the cold and enhance physical strength. This custom is very common in the south.

3. Arbor Day: The vernal equinox is also Arbor Day in China. On this day, people will organize various tree planting activities to publicize green environmental protection and ecological awareness.

4. Sacrificing ancestors in Tomb-Sweeping Day: The Spring Equinox is just around Tomb-Sweeping Day. People will go to their ancestors' graves to worship and offer flowers and food to show their respect and memory.

5. Steaming Zongzi on Dragon Boat Festival: Although Dragon Boat Festival is a summer festival, the vernal equinox season is also a good time for people to steam Zongzi. People will use bamboo leaves to wrap glutinous rice, bean paste, meat and other materials and steam them to celebrate the arrival of spring.

6. Flying a kite: At the vernal equinox, the weather is warm and sunny, which is a good time to fly a kite. People will choose all kinds of colorful kites, fly them in the air and enjoy the moment of relaxation and entertainment.

These are just some common vernal equinox customs, and there may be some special traditional activities in different regions. In any case, the vernal equinox is an expected solar term. People celebrate the arrival of spring through these customs and pray for health, happiness and harvest.