What does the "little man" on the calendar mean?

Many people often see the word Xiaoman in old calendars, but many people don't know what Xiaoman means. In fact, Xiaoman is the season when crops are about to be harvested, and it is also one of the 24 solar terms. Xiaoman is a solar term deeply loved by farmers.

Then, next, let's take a look at the meaning of Xiao Man in the calendar!

What does Xiao Man mean?

Xiaoman means that the seeds of summer crops are full, but not yet mature, just small and not yet full. So people call this time Xiao Man. Xiaoman is called Xiaoman on May 2 1 of the Gregorian calendar every year.

The solar term is one of the twenty-four solar terms and the second solar term in summer. It means that the seeds of summer crops are full, but immature, just small and not full. On May 2 1 or 22 every year, when the sun reaches 60 yellow diameter, it is regarded as a small full.

The origin of solar terms

Twenty-four solar terms: "In mid-April, things are small and full." At this time, the seeds of summer sowing crops such as wheat in the north have begun to be full, but they are not yet mature, which is about the late stage of milk ripening, so it is called Xiaoman. Agricultural proverbs in southern China give Xiaoman a new meaning: "Xiaoman is not satisfied, he thinks about it"; "Little people are full of discontent, regardless of mangoes." The word "full" is used to describe the amount of rain, and it is pointed out that if there is not enough water in the field when it is full, the ridge may crack and even rice cannot be planted when it is planted.

Solar terms custom

There is a saying in Jiangnan that "a villain moves three cars". It is an image summary of Xiaoman farming in the south of the Yangtze River. The so-called "three cars" are waterwheels, spinning wheels and oil trucks. In agricultural proverbs, people use "fullness" to refer to the abundance of rain. Xiaoman is the season of topdressing early rice and transplanting middle rice in Jiangnan. If the field is not filled with water, it will crack and cannot be transplanted, which will affect the harvest of crops.

Therefore, in the year of drought, people will consider it early and arrange it skillfully, and use human or animal power to drive waterwheels to irrigate paddy fields. Walking in the paddy fields of remote ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River, we often saw buffaloes blindfolded and turning the wooden wheels of the waterwheel to drive the keel waterwheel to carry water, or people pedaling alternately with their feet to carry water.