Meaning and Customs of Spring Equinox

Vernal Equinox, one of the twenty-four solar terms, is the fourth solar term in spring. After the spring equinox, the climate is mild, with abundant rainfall and bright sunshine. During the spring equinox, there are Chinese folk customs such as flying kites, eating spring vegetables and setting eggs.

Meaning of Spring Equinox:

The minute of "spring equinox" means half, which is divided into two, with day and night equally divided, and cold and heat balanced. In addition, the equinox is also the meaning of the equal division of spring, traditionally spring to summer for the spring, the equinox is the middle of the spring three months. Therefore, the equinox was also known as the "middle of the day", "day and night", and "the month of spring" in ancient times. Spring Equinox day, the sun directly above the Earth's equator, day and night. According to the Yuan Wu Cheng's work, "The Monthly Order 72 Waiting Collection" explains, "In the middle of February, the half of the equinox is also half, this is when the half of the ninety days, so it is called the equinox." Another "Spring and Autumn prosperous dew" said: "the equinox, yin and yang half also, so the day and night and cold and heat flat." Lunar calendar book: "Doo refers to the d for the spring equinox, about the line circumference, the north and south hemispheres day and night are divided (except for the poles), but also when the spring half, so it is called the spring equinox." That is to say, the spring equinox, the equator on the day of the equinox of the sun, the northern and southern hemispheres, day and night are equally divided, since this day after the sun from the equator to continue to the northern hemisphere, the northern hemisphere, the northern hemisphere day began to be longer than the darkness, the southern hemisphere and the opposite. In terms of climate, there are also more obvious features, after the equinox in China, except for the Tibetan plateau, northeastern China, northwestern China and northern China are entering the bright spring.

Customs of the spring equinox:

1. Eggs

"Spring Equinox, eggs are pretty", in the spring equinox every year that day, tens of millions of people around the world in the "vertical egg" test. The first is the "Easter Eggs" test. This called "Chinese custom" play how to become a "world game", it is difficult to prove. However, it is easy and fun to play. Vernal equinox erect eggs, mainly to celebrate the arrival of spring, "standing eggs" in addition to the original intention of standing eggs, but also "right away", "add Ding" meaning , implying that It is said that on the day of the spring equinox, it is possible to put up an egg. It is said that on the day of the equinox, the egg can be erected, but also means good luck throughout the year, everything goes well.

2. Sacrifice

According to the "Records of Rites", "the sun was sacrificed at the altar", and this custom has been passed down through the generations ever since." The Temple of the Sun is located on the east side of Ritan Road, southeast of Chaoyangmen, Beijing, and is also known as the Temple of the Ascending Sun, which was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped the god Daming (the sun) on the day of the vernal equinox. The sun is worshipped on this day to give thanks to the sun for bestowing this rite of moral energy and sunlight and light to the earth, which promotes the growth of all things on the earth. The spring equinox folk would organize a grand festival, signifying new hope and the expectation of mankind for a fruitful harvest day.

3. Eat Spring Vegetables

Spring Vegetables, as the name suggests, are spring vegetables. In the Lingnan area, there is a custom of eating spring vegetables on the vernal equinox. "Spring vegetables" is a kind of wild amaranth, the villagers called "spring artemisia". On the day of the spring equinox, the whole village went to pick spring vegetables. When searching in the field, most of them are young and green, thin, and about as long as the palm of your hand. The picked spring vegetables are usually "rolled in soup" with sliced fish at home, called "spring soup". There is a jingle: "spring soup to fill the dirty, wash the liver and intestines. The whole family, young and old, safe and healthy."

Once upon a time, there was a custom of "eating spring vegetables at the spring equinox" in four areas of Lingnan. "Spring vegetables" is a kind of wild amaranth, picked from the fields back to the spring vegetables and fish slices generally "rolling soup", called "spring soup". The so-called "spring soup" is used to wash the liver and intestines. Family, young and old, safe and healthy". Yangjiang women will go to the mountains on this day to collect the leaves of the hundred flowers, make powder and rice flour and together to make soup noodles to eat, rumor has it that it can clear away heat and detoxification.

4. Sending Spring Bulls

The Spring Equinox is here, and the Spring Bulls are sent out. What is a spring ox picture? The two open red or yellow paper printed on the lunar calendar throughout the year, and then printed on the farmer plowing pattern, the name is "spring cow map. Send a picture of the general are able to speak good at singing people, mainly say some spring plowing and auspicious not against the farming season of the proverb, each to a family is a scene, said the owner of the joy and give money until. These words come out of their mouths, but they have a rhythmic sound. The first thing you need to do is to get your hands on some of the most popular products and services in the world, and you'll be able to do it all in one place.

5. Sticky bird mouth

Spring equinox this day farmers will eat dumplings at home, but also more than ten or twenty or thirty not wrapped in the heart of the dumplings boiled, with a fine bamboo fork cuttings placed in the outdoor fields on the edge of the ground, the name of the sticky finch mouth, so as to avoid the birds to destroy the crops. Sticky Bird's Mouth expresses people's good wishes and hopes for a good harvest.

6. Treading Green and Flying Kites

After the spring equinox, people have begun to treading green travel, outdoor activities, kite flying is an important project. In ancient times, there was also the custom of hairpin drinking at the spring equinox, and on this day, both men and women, young and old, would hairpin flowers. Kites, anciently known as "harrier", "kite", "harrier" and "kite" are hawk-like raptors, ancient kites In ancient times, most of the kites were made of silk or paper in the shape of eagles, so the kites were also called "paper harriers" and "paper kites". Later, kites were made in different shapes, and most of them were swallow kites in spring.

After the vernal equinox, most of the overwintering crops in the south enter the spring growth stage. In central China, there is a "spring equinox wheat up, a moment is worth a thousand dollars" of agricultural proverbs. As the saying goes: "spring equinox wheat up, fertilizer to follow closely". A spring rain is a warm, after the spring rain is busy plowing. Spring busy season is about to start, spring management, spring plowing, spring planting is about to enter a busy stage.