What is the origin of the name "Mangzhong"?

Ear planting is one of the 24 solar terms, and there is also a busy planting, which is the busiest season for mature crops such as wheat to mature and cultivate. Hearing this alias, we seem to know why it is called Mangzhong. Let's first look at the name of the solar term "Mangzhong".

The two words "spike seed" have different meanings respectively.

First, "Mang" in "Mang Seed"

Let's talk about the "awn" of "awn seed" first. Original meaning: the seed coat or needle on the vegetation of cereal plants. Mountain, grass also. -speaking. Xu Kai said: "It is also true to call wheat a kind of awn." Because wheat has awns, especially when wheat is mature, the golden awns are more prominent. Seeing the word "awn", we can't help thinking about the wheat to be harvested. (The "awn" of awn seed can be interpreted as wheat harvest. )

In addition to wheat, its relative rice is also "awned". There is a saying that "wheat with awns can be harvested quickly, and rice with awns can be planted quickly." In fact, awn seed is a festival related to these two kinds of plants with awns (wheat and rice).

Second, the "species" in "Mangcao"

So what does "kindness" mean? "Planting" here refers to rice sowing.

After harvesting wheat, hardworking farmers are busy sowing rice. My family lives in the rural area of Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. When I was a child, I worked with my grandfather in the fields. At that time, when I was very young, I sat on the ridge and watched my grandfather work. The older generation depends on the weather for food, and the harvest of crops is related to the life of the whole family. So people will plant as many crops as possible. Our climate in Zhejiang is not too hot, but we can barely grow rice in both seasons. Further north, you may choose to plant one-season wheat and one-season rice, which is in line with the "ear seed".

Terraces with newly planted seedlings in the south

Third, the natural causes of "Mangzi"

In the awning season, the temperature rises obviously, the rainfall is abundant, and the air humidity is high, which is suitable for planting cereal crops such as late rice. Besides, I personally feel that late rice is more delicious than early rice. ) The solar term of awn seed is the dividing point of planting crops. Because of the hot weather, it has entered a typical summer, and agricultural sowing is bounded by this season. After this solar term, the survival rate of crops is getting lower and lower. Summer sowing crops such as late grain, millet and millet should be sown in this solar term, so they are also called "awn seeds".

Fourth, the legend of mango

Add another legend about mango. Mango is also a solar term with a story, which is related to shrike. This story can explain the proverb "When you plant a awn, you start to sing" (it is rumored that shrike starts to sing when it is planted).

Legend has it that in Zhou Xuanwang, a clever minister, Yin Jifu, listened to the rumors of his second wife and killed his beloved son, Birch, by mistake. Birch's younger brother Bofeng was sad for his younger brother's misfortune and wrote a sad poem. Yin Jifu regretted it after hearing this.

One day, in the suburbs, Yin Jifu saw a bird he had never seen before, and stopped on a mulberry tree to chirp at it. The voice is very sad and sad. Yin Jifu suddenly thought that the bird was the soul incarnation of his son, Birch, so he said, "Birch, if you were my son, Birch would fly and stop in my carriage." As soon as the words were finished, the bird really flew over and stopped in the carriage, so Yin Jifu took the bird home.

Shrike

When he got home, the bird stopped at the well and whined at the house. Yin Jifu pretended to shoot birds, picked up a bow and arrow and shot into the second room to comfort birch. The name of shrike comes from the phrase "Birch Rauhu".

Later, people used shrike as a feature to record solar terms. The shrike crows, and then the awn seeds arrive.

Feelings: There is also a saying that "ears are busy, and wheat comes on". Ear planting is the busiest season for agricultural production, with golden wheat harvested at one end and blue rice seedlings planted at the other. Now the agricultural output has increased a lot, and only some old people in our village are still engaged in agriculture. The scene of busy farming in the past is gone forever. For younger people, it may be just a solar term, but how can it be just an ordinary solar term?