The Origin of White Dew

White Dew, the third solar term of autumn, is celebrated around September 7 on the Gregorian calendar every year. In ancient times, people divided White Dew into three seasons, i.e., the first season for the coming of Hongyan, the second season for the return of Xuanbird, and the third season for the raising of shyness by the birds.

When the sun reaches 165° of yellow longitude, it is the arrival of the White Dew festival. At this time, the weather gradually turns cooler, the sun's heat is still high during the day, but once the sun goes down, the temperature quickly drops. This situation causes the water vapor in the air at night to condense into tiny water droplets when it gets cold, which will be very densely attached to the surface of objects near the ground, as well as the stems, leaves, and petals of flowers, plants, and trees, appearing a white color.

When the sun rises in the morning, under the sunlight, it looks as white as jade, crystal clear, like a tiny white pearl, scattered in every corner of the earth, "white dew" of the name.

White Dew Customs

1, drink white dew tea

The so-called "white dew tea" refers to the tea picked at the time of white dew. "Spring tea bitter, summer tea astringent, to drink tea, autumn white dew", this time of year tea after two quarters of growth, in all aspects have been very mature, not only the high nutritional value, sweet and fragrant, but also very resistant to brewing, sip a mouthful of, lips and teeth, by the tea lovers like, over time, there is also a "Drink white dew tea" said.

2, drink white dew wine

"Drinking white dew wine" is also known as "sipping rice wine", mainly popular in China's Hunan Zixing Xingning, Sandu, Tate River area, Jiangsu and Zhejiang part of the custom of home-brewed white dew rice wine. Bailu wine is a local "local wine", mainly with glutinous rice, sorghum and other grains brewed, warm in the heat, slightly sweet flavor, to use Bailu this day to receive guests with.

Olden times, after the family brewed Bai Lu wine, it would be sealed into the altar, buried in the ground or stored in the cellar, and then wait until the day of Bai Lu, and friends and family to drink together, the wine smells good.

3, the collection of clear dew

"Collection of clear dew" custom has a long history, originated in the Ming Dynasty. It is said that in Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica there is a record, and over time, the white dew season to collect the dew has become a kind of custom passed down, but also become the most special white dew season a "ceremony".

4. Sacrifice to King Yu

The custom of "Sacrifice to King Yu" is mainly popular along the shores of Lake Taihu in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China. Fishermen on the shores of Lake Taihu make their living from the water, and since King Yu is the traditional hero of water control, the locals refer to him as the "Bodhisattva of the Waterways". Every year on the eighth day of the first month, Qingming, the seventh day of the seventh month and Bai Lu, incense festivals are held here to honor King Yu, with the Qingming and Bai Lu spring and autumn festivals being the largest and lasting for a week.

5, Autumn Society

"Autumn Society" refers to the ancient days of the fall to worship the gods of the earth. Autumn social activities is a kind of celebration of the harvest, sacrifices to the gods of the festivities, generally held in the fifth e day after the start of autumn, about forty days after the start of autumn, generally in the White Dew, before and after the autumnal equinox, and so far to inheritance for thousands of years.