What did the agency say?

Department statement: It marks the end of hot summer days.

Summer is the fourteenth solar term among the twenty-four solar terms and the second solar term in autumn. Being in the heat is "out of the heat", that is, out of the heat. Being in summer is not only different from the solar terms such as slight summer heat, midsummer, slight cold and severe cold, but also represents the transition from hot to cool.

The arrival of summer solar terms marks the end of hot summer days, the summer heat gradually fades, and the weather turns from hot to cold. At this time, the temperature in the northern region gradually began to drop. In the southern region, due to the gradual shift of the direct angle of the sun to the south, the sunshine time in the northern hemisphere is reduced, and the warm and humid airflow is gradually weakened. Therefore, during the summer and solar terms, the temperature in the southern region gradually began to drop.

The arrival of summer solar terms also means the beginning of autumn. In autumn, the temperature gradually drops and the weather gradually turns cold. At the same time, autumn is also the harvest season, and various crops are gradually maturing. Therefore, during the summer and solar terms, people also began to prepare for harvesting autumn crops.

In addition, there are many traditional customs and activities in summer. For example, in the south, people will hold a traditional "ancestor worship festival" to commemorate their ancestors. In addition, during the summer and solar terms, people will eat some traditional foods to regulate their health. For example, glutinous rice, grapefruit, longan and water chestnut are all very popular traditional foods.

Historical origin

There are "three summers" in the 24 solar terms, namely, little summer, big summer and long summer, followed by early summer, heatstroke and late summer. There is also a "beginning of autumn" solar term in the middle of the "Three Summers". After beginning of autumn, it is summer, and the heat lasts for a long time. Long-term intense heat is beneficial to the growth and yield of crops. The ancients called the period from beginning of autumn to the autumnal equinox "long summer".

The dog days include four solar terms: Slight Summer, Great Summer, beginning of autumn and Summer. By the time of the heat, the dog days have passed or ended. The summer heat subsides slowly, and it doesn't get cold as soon as it drops. Although the summer solar term is still hot, the temperature has begun to show a downward trend as a whole.