Origin of Vernal Equinox and Traditional Cuisine

The Vernal Equinox festival is held on March 19~22 of the Gregorian calendar every year. Vernal Equinox is the fourth of the twenty-four solar terms and is an important time for farming. The sun shines directly on the earth's equator, and day and night are almost equal. Here is the origin of the spring equinox and traditional food that I have compiled for you, I hope it can help you.

Origin of Vernal Equinox

Vernal Equinox is the fourth of the twenty-four Solar Terms. "The spring equinox is the halfway point between yin and yang. Therefore, the day and night are equal and the cold and heat are equal. The word "equinox" tells the boundaries of day and night, summer and cold. At this time, the sun's yellow longitude is 0 degrees, and the sun's position is above the equator. Almanac records "Doo finger non for the spring equinox, about the circumference of the day, the north and south hemispheres day and night are divided, and when the spring half, so called the spring equinox." Vernal equinox usually refers specifically to the sun depending on the yellow meridian is located in the 0 ° of the moment, in the lunar calendar around February 15 each year (the calendar for about March 19 ~ 22 days period).

Vernal equinox is a traditional Chinese holiday, the day of the equinox, the sun is directly above the Earth's equator, and the seasons are reversed in the northern and southern hemispheres; the northern hemisphere is the spring equinox, and in the southern hemisphere it is the fall equinox.

Vernal equinox, also known as the "sun", "day and night", "the month of spring". The Ming Shi - calendar a "said:" points, yellow and red intersection of the point, the sun traveled to this, is the day and night." Therefore, the significance of the equinox, one refers to the time of day and night evenly divided, each for 12 hours; the second is the ancient spring to summer for the spring, the equinox is just three months in the spring, the equal division of the spring.

On the origin of the equinox there are two ways of saying, one is that in ancient times to spring to summer for the spring, and the equinox is in the middle of the three months of spring, the equinox of the spring, such as "the moon order of seventy-two wait for the collection of explanation" recorded: "February, the half of the minute, which is the half of the ninety days, and therefore is called the minute. Autumn is the same meaning." And the preaching of celestial induction of Dong Zhongshu in the "Spring and Autumn flourish dew - yin and yang in and out of the upper and lower parts of the" said: "the equinox, yin and yang half also, so the day and night are even and hot and cold flat." Day and night are basically equal on this day of the year, and the other day is the fall equinox. In addition, from this day onwards, the day is longer than the night oh~

Vernal equinox is also a festival and ritual celebration, the ancient emperors had the ritual of sacrificing the sun in the spring and the moon in the fall. The Book of Rites: "Sacrifice the sun on the altar." Kong Yingda: "said the spring equinox also." Qing Pan Rong ah, "the Imperial capital of the year record": "the spring equinox sacrifice of the sun, the autumn equinox sacrifice of the moon, is the state of the ceremony, the people shall not be trespassing on the rituals.

Traditional food on the vernal equinox

1, eat spring vegetables

In the past, there was a custom in Siyi, called "spring equinox eat spring vegetables". "Spring vegetables" is a wild amaranth, the townspeople called "spring artemisia". On the day of the spring equinox, everyone in the village went to pick spring vegetables. When searching in the field, most of them are young and green, thin, 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." Slowly, this has become a custom. Since the spring of the year, people still pray for peace and quiet at home, strong and healthy.

2, radish

Eat radish can not only up and down the ventilation, but also play a disease, the effect of spring fever. Spring health care in a variety of vegetables, the best effect is radish. White radish has a heat and fluids, gas, digestion and phlegm effect, eaten raw in favor of heat and fluids, cooked in favor of gas digestion, spring consumption, can be used to prevent and control phlegm cough, sore throat, bloating, constipation and other symptoms of the disease.

3, the sun cake

The sun cake is not only the tribute to the equinox festival, but also seasonal food, meaning "high sun". "Sun cake, step by step". According to the old Beijing custom, the spring equinox day to worship the sun god, "please" eat the sun cake. Not only is the symbolism of the "sun cake" beautiful, but the glutinous rice and the filling is also in line with the spring "should save acid and increase the sweet" concept of health.

4, donkey roll

According to the custom of the old Beijing, the spring equinox to eat donkey roll, in order to avoid evil and pray for luck. Donkey rolls have a remarkable history, just look at its processing materials include rhubarb rice noodles, soybean noodles, red bean paste, sugar, sesame oil, cinnamon, green and red silk and melon kernels, enough to comply with the nutritional dietary guidelines on the diversity of ingredients this one. The production of donkey rolls is divided into three processes: making, stuffing and molding. The outer layer of the donkey rolls is covered with bean flour and is golden yellow in color, with a sweet bean aroma and soft filling, which is a unique flavor that is suitable for both young and old.

Spring equinox health

Give the stomach and intestines a break

People's intestines also need to rest. The food is eaten into the belly, in addition to the stomach, the human body more than one viscera are busy, even the brain is to give way to it, first of all, to ensure that the blood to meet the needs of the intestines, which is the reason why the diet will occur after the brain is faint.

If the stomach and intestines can have a rest day every week, it can effectively help us discharge the accumulated toxins in the body. Eat only two meals in the morning and two meals in the evening on the day of rest, or to thin porridge, fruit, honey water instead of a meal to reduce the load on the stomach and intestines.

Eat more seasonal dishes

In 2000 years, Confucius taught us "not to eat", that is, not the food of the season do not eat. Seasonal vegetables are also lucky vegetables. When we eat food, one should pay attention to the "gas", one should pay attention to the "flavor". Many of the foods we eat are made up of odors. And these medicines and foods can only work well with foods that are in line with the seasonal qi.

Spring seasonal vegetables, including leeks with the use of Yang; help grow vitality of bean sprouts, lettuce, green onions, bean sprouts, garlic shoots; nourish the liver and lungs of the late spring fruits, such as strawberries, plums, apricots, plums, mulberries, cherries and so on.

Nutritional liver detoxification

Spring should be in the liver, summer should be in the heart, long summer should be in the spleen, autumn should be in the lungs, winter should be in the kidneys, so the spring focus on liver. The purpose of spring liver is to harmonize the balance of yin and yang of the liver, in Chinese medicine, sweet food can nourish the spleen and stomach, jujube and yam is a good choice.

Alcohol is harmful to the liver and intestines, so you should not drink alcohol in the spring. Chrysanthemum tea, honeysuckle and even plain water are the best drinks for spring.

Spring health food intelligence

The French always have wine on the table, the Cantonese before and after dinner, a mouthful of beautiful soup. The sweet aroma and health benefits of soup are well known, and "Zenkungfu" has recently launched the "Fresh and moist four treasures soup", which is made from the perspective of medicinal diets and health care, and is made with snow fungus, soybeans, pork shanks, and phoenix claws. The soup is made with four ingredients: snow fungus, soy beans, pork hind leg meat, and phoenix claw, and it has the flavor of a "house soup".