The origin of Xiaoshu

“The hot weather refers to Xiaoshu. At that time, the weather is already hot but has not yet reached the peak of siltation, hence the name.” On Xiaoshu day, the sun reaches 105 degrees of ecliptic longitude. Use a Gui watch to measure the sun's shadow at noon. The length of the shadow is two feet and four inches in ancient times, which is equivalent to 0.58 meters today. Compared with the summer solstice, the daytime at this time has begun to become shorter. When observing the Big Dipper at night, the Douqi points in the direction of the future, that is, the southwest. This stage usually occurs in the sixth month of the lunar calendar, also called the last month. The weather is already very hot, but it is not yet the hottest period, so it is called Xiaoshu.

Small Heat is the eleventh of the twenty-four solar terms of the lunar calendar, and the fifth solar term of summer, indicating the official start of the summer season; every year on July 7 or 8, the sun reaches 105° of ecliptic longitude. It is the Xiaoshu solar term. "Collection of the Seventy-Two Hours of the Moon Order": "June Festival...shu means heat. The heat is divided into big and small. The first month is small and the middle of the month is big. Today, the heat is still small." Summer means heat. Xiaoshu means hot. The ancients believed that Xiaoshu was not the hottest time of the year, so it was called Xiaoshu. There is also a solar term song that says: "Small summer heat is not too hot, but big summer heat is the dog days." It points out that the hottest period of the year has arrived, but it has not yet reached the extreme heat level. As the saying goes: "The heat is in the third volt." The weather in my country generally occurs 28 days after the summer solstice, which is the so-called "summer solstice."

Customs of Xiaoshu

1. Eating lotus root

For a long time, there has been a folk custom of eating lotus root during Xiaoshu. Lotus root has the functions of clearing away heat, nourishing blood and removing troubles. Suitable for summer consumption, fresh lotus root is simmered over low heat, sliced ??and then added with an appropriate amount of honey. It can be eaten at will. It has the effect of calming the mind and falling asleep, and can cure blood deficiency and insomnia.

2. Showing calligraphy, paintings and clothes

During the Xiaoshu season, people still have the custom of drying calligraphy, paintings and clothes. There is a folk proverb: "On June 6th, people dry their clothes and dragons dry their robes", "June 6th, every house shines in red and green". "Red and green" refers to all kinds of colorful clothes. This is the day with the highest temperature, the longest sunshine time, and the strongest solar radiation in the year. Therefore, many households will choose this day to "sun-in" and hang the clothes stored in the cabinets outside to be exposed to the sun. Remove moisture, moisture, mildew and moth.

3. Eating eel in Xiaoshu

As the saying goes: eel in Xiaoshu is better than ginseng. Monopterus eels are born in mud caves on the waterfront, and summer eels, which are eaten one month before and after Slight Heat, are the most nutritious and delicious. Summer is often the remission period for chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases. Monopterus eel is warm in nature and sweet in taste, and has the functions of replenishing qi, liver and spleen, removing rheumatism, and strengthening muscles and bones.

4. "New food" during Slight Heat

The arrival of Slight Heat means that the hot weather in summer is about to begin. In order to cope with the coming hot weather and express gratitude for the earliest grain harvest, Chinese society gradually formed customs such as "eating new foods" and "sacrifice to the grain god" over thousands of years.

"Eating new rice" means tasting new rice after the Slight Heat. After farmers grind the newly cut rice into rice, they prepare rice to offer sacrifices to the Grain God and ancestors, expressing their gratitude to nature and ancestors. Then people People eat and taste new wines and so on. It is said that "eating new" means "eating Xin", which is the first Xin day after Xiaoshu Festival. Cities generally buy a small amount of new rice and cook it with the old rice, plus newly-launched vegetables, etc. Therefore, there is a folk saying that people eat millet during the minor summer heat and eat rice during the major summer heat.

5. Drink sheep soup

Northerners will drink sheep soup during minor heat and severe heat. Firstly, it can nourish the body; secondly, "sheep" and "yang" are homophones. The ancients believed that In summer, Yang Qi is lost more, so this can increase Yang Qi.

6. Do not sit on wood left in the open for a long time

There is a folk saying: "Don't sit on rocks in winter, and don't sit on wood in summer." After the summer heat, the temperature is high and the humidity is high. Wood that has been left in the open air for a long time, such as chairs and stools, has been exposed to dew and rain, and contains a lot of moisture. It looks dry on the surface, but when it is exposed to the sun and the temperature rises, it will emit moisture and make people sit on it. Over time, it can induce diseases such as hemorrhoids, rheumatism and arthritis.