The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 节气 jiéqì solar terms based on seasonal changes and natural phenomenon. They play an important role in guiding agricultural activities, even to this day. But even city-dwellers like us can enjoy them. Each solar term has its own associated customs, traditions, and even recipes. In Solar Terms 101, we delve into what makes each one special… 

Name of the solar term: 立夏 lìxià lit. ‘set the start of summer.’
Gregorian date: May 6 +/- a day (May 5, 2020).

What is lixia all about?

As we have mentioned in previous Solar Terms 101s, China’s solar terms are based on the rotation of the Big Dipper. When the dipper’s handle points to the northeast in the night sky, as it does for lixia, ancient Chinese would recognize that it is once again the start of the summer. The character 立 lì in 立夏 lìxià can indicate both “setting a mark” or “standing up,” while 夏 xià can mean “big” as well as “summer,” as the crops sowed in spring should at this point have broken through the soil and grown straight and tall in the fields.

Weather-wise, given that the solar terms were invented at a time when China’s cultural and financial centers lay in the south while Beijing was still a remote town in the country’s north, lixia does not always reflect the capital’s change in climate perfectly. Yet, you shouldn’t be surprised to witness temperatures climbing during lixia, especially in some years when it can feel like we skipped spring and leaped straight into summer.

One last picnic for spring

Growing of specific types of gourd is one of the symbols of the arrival of lixia

Just like guyu that came before, lixia also features three micro seasons. The corresponding natural phenomena of these seasons are, in order, the chirping of male crickets, earthworms burrowing through new ground, and growth of specific types of gourd (as pictured above).

But more importantly, lixia symbolizes the passing from spring to summer. Traditionally on this day, the emperor would lead his courtiers – all dressed in red for hope of an auspicious harvest – to welcome the advent of the summer. During the ceremony, the emperor would also award his courtiers with any remaining ice stores from the previous year.

For commoners, especially those who dwelled around the Yangtze River Delta, this was the last chance to have a picnic before the spring flowers faded away.

Nope, not Chinese Easter, but our passion for eggs during this time of year is shared

With everything during this time of year thriving, it is only natural for parents wanting the same for their children. In some areas of China, children will wear a mesh bag containing a boiled egg around their neck when they go out to play in the first midday sun of lixia. The children then smash the tops and bottoms of their eggs together, with the child with the last intact egg top claiming ultimate victory while the child with an intact bottom comes runner up. Meanwhile, children who wear an egg around their neck is believed to help prevent abdominal distention, apparently a common occurrence among ancient Chinese children in summer.

Don’t eat too much for lunch

After the first lunch of lixia, some villages will even hang up a set of scales for people to be weighed, while the person doing the weighing will provide an entertaining rhyme to wish them abundant nutrition for the year ahead.

What to eat for lixia

There are no signature dishes for lixia and what people eat will generally depend on where in China they are, yet it is commonly believed that you should seek out foods that look like your legs, heart, and eyes for better health. Don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be gory; these are usually just symbolized in seasonal produce, like bamboo shoots for legs, while peas or berries are fitting substitutes for eyes. In China’s southeast coastal areas, shrimp (虾 xiā) is popular since it’s a homonym of summer (夏 xià).

KEEP READING: What Does “Gu Yu” Have to Do With Spring?

This article originally appeared on our sister site, the Beijinger

Images: soufunimg.com, Sohu, Wemedia, 163

This Saturday marks the September (autumn) equinox, which means we’ll once more get an equal length of day and night. Soon after, nights will become long again. The Chinese call it 秋分 (qiūfēn), the 16th point in the 24 Solar Terms (24 节气 jiéqì), an important part of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. The astronomical concept, which has been in use since the Zhou Dynasty (770BC-256 BC), was declared a World Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity last December.

Historically, jiéqì was used for agricultural purposes in ancient China as it provided a “time frame” of activities that correspond to the major changes in the environment during a season.

The 24 points in the lunisolar calendar also mark festivities or rituals, and in the case of qiūfēn or Mid-Autumn Festival, activities related to worshiping the Moon. This year, this major festival doesn’t happen until Oct 4 (Wednesday), when a full moon is set to grace the night sky. We’ll have more about that in next week’s Mandarin Monday.

Anyway, going back to the Solar Terms… each season has six points or “terms” and their names are very descriptive of the season’s highlights. In the list below, you’ll see the names of each term and when they start in the Gregorian calendar.

– 立春 lìchūn (Feb 4) – Spring Begins, when the days start to become longer again
– 雨水 yǔshuǐ (Feb 19) – The Rains, indicating the increased amount of rainfall as the weather becomes warmer
– 惊蛰 jīngzhé (Mar 6) – Insects Awaken, since insects awaken from their winter hibernation
– 春分 chūnfēn (Mar 21) – Vernal Equinox, or middle of spring (in the Northern Hemisphere)
– 清明 qīngmíng (Apr 5) – Clear and Bright, when the Qingming Festival (or Tomb Sweeping Festival) happens
– 谷雨 gǔyǔ (Apr 20) – Grain Rain, when a further increase in rainfall helps the growth of crops
– 立夏 lìxià (May 6) – Summer Begins
– 小满 xiǎomǎn (May 21) – Grain Buds, representing a period where grains grow fuller day by day
– 芒种 mángzhòng (Jun 6) – Grain Ear, when cereal grains (in the seed-bearing part of the plant, or “ear) mature
– 夏至 xiàzhì (Jun 21) – Summer Solstice, or mid-summer, when the sun is its highest point in the sky
– 小暑 xiǎoshǔ (Jul 7) – Slight Heat, when the continuous rainfall in the Yangtze river valleys stop
– 大暑 dàshǔ (Jul 23) – Great Heat, representing the hottest days of the year
– 立秋 lìqiū (Aug 8) – Autumn Begins
– 处暑 chǔshǔ (Aug 23) – Heat Withdraws, when the cold air from the north start to slowly cool down the weather
– 白露 báilù (Sep 8) – White Dews, or the dews that can be seen on the grass as the temperature gradually cools down
– 秋分 qiūfēn (Sep 23) – Autumn Equinox, or middle of autumn (in the Northern Hemisphere)
– 寒露 hánlù (Oct 8) – Cold Dews, when the dews start to become frost
– 霜降 shuāngjiàng (Oct 23) – Frost Falls, when the vapor in the air freezes in the form of tiny ice needles
– 立冬 lìdōng (Nov 7) – Winter Begins
– 小雪 xiǎoxuě (Nov 22) – Light Snow, as in some areas along the Yangtze River start to see light snowfall
– 大雪 dàxuě (Dec 7) – Heavy Snow, indicating more snowfall in most areas in China
– 冬至 dōngzhì (Dec 22) – Winter Solstice, or mid-winter, when the shortest day of the year happens
– 小寒 xiǎohán (Jan 6) – Slight Cold, indicating the start of coldest days of the year
– 大寒 dàhán (Jan 20) – Great Cold, when the cold wave from Siberia arrives in China

The seasons begin with 立 lì, which can mean “establish”; the two solstices have the character 至 zhì meaning “extreme” or “most,” implying the position of the sun in the sky during summer (highest) and winter (lowest).

So using the list above, we can get some words for the season names:
– 春 chūn – spring
– 夏 xià – summer
– 秋 qiū – autumn
– 冬 dōng – winter

Photo: timeanddate.com

See more of my stories here.
Email: andypenafuerte@beijing-kids.com
Web: coolkidandy.wordpress.com
Instagram: @coolkidandy