The autumnal equinox is the sixteenth solar term of the twenty-four solar terms and the fourth solar term in autumn. Dou refers to You; the sun reaches 180° of the celestial longitude; the festival is held on September 22-24 every year in the Gregorian calendar. On the autumnal equinox, the sun almost shines directly at the Earth's equator, and day and night are of equal length in all parts of the world. Autumn Equinox, "fen" means "equal" or "half". In addition to referring to the equinox of day and night, it also means the equal division of autumn. So do you know the origin of the autumnal equinox? The Origin of the Autumn Equinox

In ancient China, Tugui was used to measure sundials. In autumn, one day when day and night are equal in length was designated as the "Autumnal Equinox".

Archaeologists believe that as early as the Yin and Shang Dynasties, the Chinese could use the Tugui method to measure the winter solstice and summer solstice and other solar terms. Tugui can measure the shadow of the sun. The day with the shortest shadow and the longest day is called "Ri Yong" in "Shang Shu·Yao Dian"; the day with the longest shadow and the shortest day is called "Ri Short"; there is one day in between. , the day is as long as the night, called "rizhong" and "xiaozhong". "Sun Zhong", "Ri Yong", "Xiao Zhong" and "Day Short" are the "Spring Equinox", "Summer Solstice", "Autumn Equinox" and "Winter Solstice". These are the earliest four solar terms recorded in history books.

In ancient my country, the "Autumnal Equinox" had two meanings: First, the four seasons were divided into four seasons based on the Beginning of Spring, Beginning of Summer, Beginning of Autumn, and Beginning of Winter in ancient my country. The Autumnal Equinox day was located within the 90 days of autumn, dividing the autumn equally. . The second is that at this time, day and night are equally divided into 24 hours a day, with 12 hours each. This day is the same as the "Vernal Equinox" day. On the "Autumnal Equinox" day, the sunlight almost directly shines on the equator. After this day, the direct sunlight position moves southward, and the days are shorter and the nights are longer in the Northern Hemisphere. In 104 BC, the "Taichu Calendar" formulated by Deng Pingping officially included the twenty-four solar terms in the calendar and clarified the astronomical position of the twenty-four solar terms. Customs of the Autumn Equinox

1. Eating autumn vegetables at the Autumn Equinox

In the Lingnan area, the Hakka people have the custom of eating autumn vegetables. Qiucai is a kind of wild amaranth, which the locals call Qiubi. On the day of the autumnal equinox, the whole village goes to pick autumn vegetables. The preparation method is the same as spring soup. It is made into autumn soup with fish fillets. The jingle of the vernal equinox has become "autumn soup fills the internal organs and cleanses the liver and intestines. The whole family, old and young, is safe and healthy." 2. Sticky Sparrow Mouth

On the autumnal equinox, Hakka farmers have a holiday according to custom. Every family has to eat glutinous rice balls, and they have to cook more than ten or twenty or thirty unwrapped glutinous rice balls, stick them with thin bamboo forks and put them on the table. There are sparrows sticking their beaks on the ridges at the edge of the outdoor fields to prevent the sparrows from destroying the crops. 3. Flying kites

The autumnal equinox is also a good time for Hakka children to fly kites. Especially on the day of the autumnal equinox, even adults participate. The types of kites include king kites, silver carp kites, narrow moth kites, thunder bug kites, and moonlight kites. The big ones are two meters high, and the small ones are two or three feet tall.

The above is the origin and custom of the autumnal equinox. What else do you know?