The summer solstice is the 10th solar term among the twenty-four solar terms. High temperatures, heavy precipitation, thundershowers from time to time, and long sunshine are the weather characteristics after the summer solstice. The customs of the Summer Solstice are mainly related to food, and vary from place to place. Let’s take a closer look~~
The climate of the Summer Solstice solar term
The climate of the Summer Solstice solar term mainly has three characteristics: heavy precipitation, long sunshine, and high temperatures. .
1. Heavy rainfall. The amount of precipitation during the summer solstice is very heavy. This is when midsummer arrives, so there will be heavy rains many times in the Jiangnan area, and in severe cases there will be floods; in the Jianghuai area, there will also be plum rains, and the air It becomes very humid and cold, making it easy for mold and germs to breed; in northern areas, rainfall also occurs frequently, with heavy rain, light rain or thunderstorms from time to time. ?
2. Long sunshine. The most significant feature of the summer solstice is the long daylight. On the day of the summer solstice, it is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. In the period after the summer solstice, the days are also long and the nights are short. We receive a lot of light every day. This situation lasted until autumn. ?
3. The temperature is high. When the summer solstice arrives, the temperature is very high. Although it is not the hottest time of the year, it is also a rare high-temperature stage of the year, which can easily lead to heatstroke. Therefore, when the summer solstice occurs, , we must escape the heat in time.
Customs of the Summer Solstice
1. Eating noodles. The summer solstice in May of the lunar calendar is the longest day of the year. Now that folk customs are returning, any food related to the summer solstice is selling well. According to the customs and habits of old Beijing, you can eat lettuce and cold noodles every year during the summer solstice. Because the climate is hot at this time, eating some raw and cold food can reduce the heat and stimulate the appetite without damaging your health due to the cold. Old Beijing's favorite noodles with soybean paste during the Summer Solstice are "Dongzhi Dumplings and Summer Solstice Noodles". Delicious Beijingers pay attention to eating noodles on the Summer Solstice. Others include Sichuan cold noodles, southern fried noodles, etc.
2. Eat dog meat. In some places in my country, the habit of eating dog meat during the summer solstice is also spread. Dog meat is a must-eat here during the summer solstice, paired with lychees. Speaking of which, you may have guessed where I am from, but this is not a so-called "dog meat festival". Eating lychee and dog meat is a custom during the summer solstice here. Eating dog meat can strengthen the body and enhance resistance.
Every year around the summer solstice, especially on the day of the summer solstice, at farmer's markets in places where there is a custom of eating dog meat, most of the pork stalls in the past sold dog meat, and only a small number of stalls sold pork and dog meat together. The reason is that it has become a tradition for local people to eat dog meat every summer solstice. The custom of eating dog meat during the summer solstice is to say that as long as people eat dog meat on the summer solstice, their bodies will be able to withstand the invasion of the westerly wind and rain, and they will have fewer colds and good health. It is based on this good wish that the unique folk food culture of "Summer Solstice Dog Meat" was created. ?
3. Worship ancestors. The summer solstice is one of the "Four Seasons and Eight Festivals". Since ancient times, people have had the custom of celebrating a good harvest and offering sacrifices to their ancestors at this time to pray for disaster relief and a good harvest. People in ancient farming societies had various regular festivals while living and working in peace and contentment. They worshiped gods and ancestors and offered abundant tributes, which led to the development of festival banquets. Some customary celebration methods gradually formed, which are the so-called festival folk customs. . Therefore, worshiping ancestors on the Summer Solstice is also a traditional custom in many places.
4. Escape from the heat. The most important folk activity during the Summer Solstice solar term is to escape the heat. Because the Summer Solstice is characterized by high temperatures and long sunshine, it is easy to suffer from heatstroke due to high temperatures, which can cause a series of diseases, such as diarrhea, dysentery, dizziness, etc., so we must pay attention Control many factors such as clothing, diet, travel, etc.
5. Cleanse and nourish. Throughout the year, every solar term should replenish the body, but because the specific solar terms and climate characteristics are different, the diet we need to supplement is also different. In the hot and humid season of the summer solstice, we need to clean ourselves up and eat more vegetables such as bitter melon, cucumber, bitter herbs, etc., and try to eat as little meat and other non-vegetarian vegetables as possible.
The above is an introduction to the climate characteristics and related customs and activities of the Summer Solstice. I hope it can help everyone~~~~