Brief introduction of vernal equinox
The vernal equinox is one of the twenty-four solar terms and the fourth solar term in spring. It is celebrated on March 20th or March 2nd1day of the Gregorian calendar every year.
The vernal equinox is the midpoint of 90 days in spring. On this day, the sun shines directly at the equator of the earth, and the length of day and night around the world is almost equal. It and the autumnal equinox are the only solar terms with the same length of day and night among the 24 solar terms. Since then, the direct point of the sun has continued to move northward, so the vernal equinox is also called the "rising equinox", and in ancient times it was also called the "day and night equinox" and "mid-spring moon". Beginning of spring to long summer is the spring, and the vernal equinox happens to be in the three months of spring, and the spring is equally divided. Yi Zhou Shu Zhou said: "Spring and March are full of vitality: fright, vernal equinox and Qingming."
At the vernal equinox, the world is as long as day and night (see twilight and shadows in the morning). After the vernal equinox, the days in the northern hemisphere are getting longer and shorter, and the nights in the southern hemisphere are getting shorter and shorter.
At this time, the great cold has passed and the temperature has risen rapidly, especially in North China and Huanghuai Plain. Almost at the same time as the rainy areas along the Yangtze River in the south of the Yangtze River, the daily average temperature has risen above 10℃.
What are the customs of the vernal equinox?
1. Eat spring vegetables and drink spring soup.
Since ancient times, there has been a custom of eating spring vegetables at the "vernal equinox", especially in the southern region, and it is more meaningful to blend with the breath of spring. "Spring vegetable" refers to a kind of wild amaranth. On the vernal equinox, people go to the fields to pick spring vegetables and go home to "cook soup", which is called "spring soup" There is a saying: "Spring soup is dirty, washing the liver and intestines. The whole family is safe and healthy. " The moral of this story is that eating spring vegetables can keep the whole family safe and healthy.
Eat "sun cakes"
This kind of food is common in Beijing. Sun cake is not only a sacrifice to the sun, but also a festive food, which has the meaning of "the sun shines high" and is deeply loved by the public. It is a kind of food made of glutinous rice and sugar. As the old saying goes, the spring equinox sacrifices the sun and the autumn equinox sacrifices the moon. On the vernal equinox, people will offer sacrifices to the sun, because it is the "birthday of the sun" and the Zhonghe Festival. As early as the distant Zhou Dynasty, there were already activities to worship the sun.