What was the function of the twenty-four solar terms in ancient China?

The role of the twenty-four solar terms in ancient China;

Twenty-four solar terms, the product of ancient farming civilization, occupy an extremely important position in China's traditional farming culture, which contains the long-standing cultural connotation and historical accumulation of the Chinese nation. Twenty-four solar terms are not only the time criterion promulgated by successive governments, but also the compass to guide agricultural production and to predict cold, warm, snow and rainy days in people's daily life. The twenty-four solar terms have been of practical value to people's life and culture since ancient times. Twenty-four solar terms are the concrete division, replacement and periodic reappearance of time, among which the solar terms that mark the change of solar terms are the symbolic time of time movement and cycle, and are the important nodes of yin-yang transformation. The establishment of the twenty-four solar terms and December is the basic content of the official calendar. The official calendar takes bucket handle of the Big Dipper as its foundation, and bucket handle as its spring (the first month). Its calendar system with the first month of spring as its first month has a far-reaching influence on the establishment of calendars in later generations. Twenty-four solar terms accurately reflect seasonal changes, which are used to guide agricultural activities and affect the food, clothing, housing and transportation of thousands of households. As the basic time indicator of agricultural activities, the 24 solar terms have therefore become an important node and time coordinate of people's life in one year, and to a certain extent, they are also time indicators of people's daily social life.

In the early era of observing images and timing, the farming cycle was a celebration cycle, and some solar terms were festivals. Although solar terms and festivals have been separated since then due to the promotion of the combination of yin and yang in historical development, many solar terms have been preserved as festivals. Almost every solar term also has its own colorful solar term custom activities. These activities can be summarized as follows: (1) offering sacrifices to the gods to welcome the weather; Worship ancestors and maintain family ties; Eliminate evil and seek peace; Have fun and relax. In addition, almost every solar term also has its own special dietary customs. Following the traditional concept of "harmony between man and nature, adapting to the four seasons" and centering on the 24 solar terms, rich health-preserving customs have been formed, such as nourishing liver in beginning of spring, replenishing water in long summer, nourishing yin in beginning of autumn and nourishing yin in beginning of winter. At the same time, around the 24 solar terms, a large number of stories, legends, poems and songs were produced, which concentrated on expressing people's thoughts, feelings and spiritual sustenance. In short, many customs and activities such as beliefs, taboos, ceremonies, etiquette, entertainment, diet, health preservation, legends and stories have been formed around the 24 solar terms. Therefore, for people, the 24 solar terms are not only a time system, but also a life folk custom system with rich connotations. The reason why the 24 solar terms can become increasingly popular and popular in people's daily social life is directly related to this.