Historical allusions to the beginning of summer

Every year during the fourth month of the lunar calendar, around May 6 on the Gregorian calendar when the sun reaches 45° of the yellow longitude begins. Folk custom as the beginning of summer. At this time the climate in most parts of China is warm, crop growth is gradually prosperous, more cotton and other crops in the plow management. Farmer's Proverb: "the beginning of summer three dynasties all over the hoe." And to the summer of the cloudy day divination of the year's abundance and failure. Henan has a "summer without rain, plow and harrow high hanging up" proverb. The old custom of summer and for the traditional folk festival, called "summer festival."

"Summer" of the "summer" is "big" means that the plants sown in the spring have grown upright. In ancient times, people attached great importance to the rituals and customs of standing in summer. On the day of the summer, the ancient emperors had to rate the civil and military officials to the southern suburb of the capital to welcome the summer and hold the ceremony of welcoming the summer. All the kings and ministers wore vermillion-colored dresses with vermillion-colored jade pendants, and even the horses and car flags had to be vermillion-red to express the hope and good wishes for a good harvest. So, what is the origin of the summer?

On the day of the beginning of summer, the ancient emperors to rate the civil and military officials to the southern outskirts of the capital to welcome the summer, held a ceremony to welcome the summer. All the officials and ministers wear Zhu color dress, with Zhu color jade pendant, even horses, car flag to Zhu red, in order to express the harvest of hope and good wishes. Welcome to the summer ceremony in the court, "the beginning of summer day ice, give the civil and military ministers". Ice is stored in the previous winter, by the emperor to the hundred officials about the summer of the `historical allusions to the summer of the historical allusions.

The area of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, people because of the great spring past, unavoidable spring sadness, so the preparation of wine and food for the joy, as if to send people far away, called the farewell spring. Cui S said in his fugue: "The first of the welcome summer, the last of the spring is hanging." Wu Lotus Ting "summer" poem also said: "There is nothing to do with spring, and the cherry shoots will be preserved spring return."

In folklore, on the day of summer, people drink cold drinks to beat the heat. On summer day, Jiangnan water towns have the custom of cooking young broad beans. Some places also have the custom of weighing people on the day of summer.

Lixia ate lunch there is the custom of weighing people. People in the village or the door to hang up a large wooden scale, scale hook hanging a stool, we take turns to sit on the stool above the scale. The weigher will play the weighing flower on one side and speak auspicious words on the other. The old man would say, "Weighing eighty-seven flowers, live to ninety-one". The girl on the scale said, "One hundred and five pounds, and the family of a foreigner will come to me. Don't be willing, don't be willing, don't be willing, the son of the scholar is destined." The weighing child said, "In the summer of Li Xia," weighing people, "the weighing flower is one dozen twenty-three, and the small official will come out of the mountain in the long run. The seventh-grade county officials do not have difficulties, the three public officials and the nine ministers are also good to climb". Playing the scale flower can only play out (that is, from the small number to the big number), can not be outside to play in.

Folk legend has it that Zhuge Liang is related to the story of Meng and Liu Adou. It is said that Meng was subdued by Zhuge Liang, after submission to the State of Shu, to Zhuge Liang to do whatever he said. On his deathbed, Zhuge Liang instructed Meng Yu to come and visit the Lord of Shu once a year. The day of Zhuge Liang's request was the first day of summer, and Meng Yu immediately went to pay his respects to Ah Dou. From then on, every year on the summer day, Meng Yu came to visit the Lord of Shu according to his promise. After a few years, Sima Yan, the Emperor of Jin, destroyed Shu and took away Ah Dou. Meng Yu did not forget the Prime Minister's mandate, every year in the summer to bring troops to Luoyang to visit the bucket, each time to go to the weight of the bucket to verify that the bucket was treated by Emperor Wu of Jin, the historical allusions about the summer material library. He threatened to raise an army against Jin if he mistreated Dou. The Emperor of Jin Wu Di, in order to accommodate Meng Yu, every year on the day of the summer, with glutinous rice with peas cooked into a Chinese rice for Ah Dou to eat

Ah Dou see peas and glutinous rice and sticky and fragrant, so doubled to eat down. Meng Yu went to the city to weigh people, and each time he was a few pounds heavier than the previous year. Although Adou did not have any skills, but there is the Meng Yu Li Xia weighing people, Emperor Wu of Jin did not dare to bully him, the day also lived in peace and happiness, happiness and longevity. This legend, although different from the historical facts, but the people hope that is "quiet and happy, happiness and longevity" of the peaceful world.

Lixia weighing people will bring good fortune to the Adou, people also pray to God to bring them good luck.