The solar term after the beginning of summer is "Xiaoman", which is the second solar term into summer among the 24 solar terms, and it is celebrated between May 20 and 22 of the solar calendar every year. The "Xiaoman" solar term is a solar term closely related to agricultural production, and saving materials rarely corresponds to the way of healthy life, and has a long history. At this time, it is also a good time to eat "bitter" and taste "new", and the ancient divine culture has enriched the connotation of Xiaoman.
Xiaoman
The name "Xiaoman" makes people feel the breath of youth, waiting, and upward feeling. When the small full season arrives, several phenological messages are conveyed:
Everything is small
The "Seventy-two Collections of the Moon Order" records the origin of Xiao Man's name: "In the middle of April, Xiao Man, things are so small that they are full." The agricultural proverb says "small full cabinet, mango seed ear", "make cabinet" means bud, which means that the rice in the subtropical region is about to bear fruit.
There is also an agricultural proverb that says "small wheat full of kernels", which means that "winter wheat" gradually turns yellow. The Book of Rites and Moon Decrees says that the fourth month of the Yellow Calendar is "wheat autumn solstice", and "wheat autumn" refers to the harvest season of wheat. There are some sayings in ancient times, such as: Xiao Man looks at wheat yellow in three days, Xiao Man 10 days full of ground yellow, cold harvest wheat hot into the warehouse... Wait a minute. It is all described as the rapid transformation and ripening of winter wheat day after day in the small manchu season, waiting for people to taste new ones.
Xiao Man endures hardships and tastes new health care and physical and mental health prevention before illness
When the time is small, the new wheat is made into new noodles to be tasted, and the bitter vegetables are ordered. The Yi Zhou Shu Shi Xun Xun Ji recorded: "On the day of Xiao Man, the bitter vegetable show. "Bitter vegetables contain bitter taste and rich nutrition, "lettuce", "buy vegetables", "old stork vegetables", "bitter vegetables", "you winter", "mountain lettuce", "goose vegetables", and so on are all bitter vegetables.
Eating bitter vegetables has become an ancient Chinese folk Xiaoman season poem. There is a saying in Chinese medicine: endure hardships and be angry. Summer health care focuses on nourishing the heart, eating an appropriate amount of bitter vegetables when the time is right, in line with the principle of health food supplement of the unity of heaven and man. Eating bitter vegetables and tasting new wheat forms the Xiaoman custom of eating "bitter" and tasting "new".
In addition, the bamboo branch words of the Qing people: "Loquat yellow after bayberry purple, it is the farmhouse Xiaomantian", as well as "Xiaoman three fresh, cucumber, garlic, cherry", all point out that Xiaoman's seasonal vegetables and fruits are the most convenient seasonal ingredients, beneficial to physical and mental health care.
The Five Elements Health Care is fresh
Bayberry and cherry are both reddish and purple fruits, from the perspective of the five elements of health care, red into the heart, is suitable for summer heart-replenishing fruit. Bayberry is rich in nutrition, the pulp contains 8 kinds of amino acids, crude fiber, vitamin C and trace elements magnesium that are beneficial to the human body, and the content of calcium, phosphorus and iron is more than 10 times higher than that of other fruits, which helps to replenish blood. Its fruit acids can not only appetize, relieve food and relieve heat, but also help to lose weight. Red purple cherries are known as "black diamonds" in fruits, high nutritional value, rich in vitamin C and can help replenish blood, rich in potassium can balance the ratio of sodium and potassium in the body to prevent high blood pressure, good for the heart, but also relieve fatigue, help sleep, is suitable for summer heart replenishment fruit.
Melon food is a summer hydration holy product, which is abundant in summer and is very suitable for summer consumption. At the same time, cucumbers contain bitters, can reduce the fire and lose weight, cucumber's unique ingredient "propanedioic acid", can prevent fat production, so cucumbers can be called super fat-resistant food, but people with cold bodies should not eat raw, but also eat less. Garlic also contains capsaicin and allicin, which have the effect of disinfection and sterilization. Garlic, also known as garlic, is the flower stem of garlic. Garlic is rich in nutrients, has a warming effect, can warm the lower qi, replenish deficiency, activate blood and harmonize internal organs, for the prevention of coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, lowering blood lipids, laxation and hemorrhoids has a certain effect, is a good food for maintaining heart blood vessels, very suitable for summer heart nourishment. Garlic has a warming effect and is suitable for people with cold stomach.
Solar terms focus on preventing unoccurring diseases. The seasonal freshness prepared by heaven for us contains the nutrients of solar terms and health, and the principle of the unity of heaven and man is waiting for people to make good use.
The rainy season is about to begin
As the saying goes, "Xiaoman rains catch up", which means that Xiaoman is also the season when the rainy season comes, and the home should also make some preparations to prevent mildew and dehumidification. Dredging drainage ditches, weeds and garbage in advance can reduce crop losses during rainy weather.
Solar terms and folklore
In the Ming Dynasty, Yao Shiqin's "See Only Compilation" said of Xiao Man's festival customs: "Pray for the valley father, the mother of the silkworm, help guide the linong sang." "Father Pray for the Valley is the god of harvest, Shennong the Great, who prays for a good harvest, to bless the harvest of crops; The mother of silkworms prays to the silkworm god to ensure the smooth production of silk.
The Zhou Dynasty's "Book of Rites and Moon Orders" recorded that in the fourth month of the Yellow Calendar, the concubines would offer cocoons in the sacrifice. In April, the important silkworm harvesting of the year is completed and it is time to start weaving and making clothes, so a festival is held to thank the gods for blessings. This is also the historical origin of the sacrifice of silkworm gods in Xiaoman folklore.
People say that the 26th of April in the Yellow Calendar is the birthday of Shennong the Great. Shennong the Great is the distant ancestor of the Chinese nation, the Yandi Shennong clan, he taught the people to farm, and personally tasted hundred herbs as herbs to solve the suffering of diseases for the people. It is said that the Shennong clan was born with magical powers. Three hours after birth, he was able to speak; Able to walk after five days; Teeth erupted after seven days. At the age of three, he showed off farming skills. Shennong was born with the virtues of a saint and was later elected king.
The ancient history "Lu Shi Volume 12" records that the Shennong clan prayed to heaven in the sun of Qi Mountain to descend to the people to the valley where they could eat for a long time. The Book of Yi Zhou records that during the time of Shennong, the world was raining (millet is the general term for grain), and Shennong used these heaven-given grains to sow seeds and teach the people to cultivate, and the people finally got a stable source of food. He also invented farming tools to help people farm more smoothly.
At that time, people did not know anything about drugs to treat diseases. The "Soushenji" says that Shennong's clan has an ochre-red whip, and he can use this whip to sweep over the hundred grasses to know whether their characteristics are peaceful or poisonous, cold or warm, and how they smell.
Shennong's traveled to various places to taste various herbs and identify the medicinal effects. He once tasted seventy kinds of poisonous herbs in one day, and they all miraculously dissolved. At the same time, he also personally investigated the sweet and bitter characteristics of water sources in various places so that people could choose to use them. Since then, people have generally been treated for their illnesses and lived more happily, and Shennong's has also become the originator of traditional Chinese medicine.
Shennong also made a lyre and played beautiful and holy music, which can calm the people's hearts, drive away evil thoughts, and enhance the spirit. Music has also become a spiritual remedy for disease.
Shennong endures hardships and hardships to solve difficulties for the people and promote the happiness of the people's lives, which ingeniously matches the characteristics of "suffering" and "new" in the Xiaoman solar term! "Taiping Yuyan Yandi Shennong" recorded: "Shennong is not greedy for the world, but the world is prosperous; Do not value others with their wisdom, but respect them all over the world. "Shennong Shengde, he dedicated himself to the people and devoted his wisdom to bring the people a stable and happy life, but he did not show himself and did not covet heavenly achievements, so he was respected by the world.
Postscript
Yi Li said that "full of losses", when the cycle of life is full but not full, everything is striving upward, it is a period of youth full of hope, and it is the best period of life. In early summer, when yin and yang are harmonious, crops are full of small abundance, looking forward to the harvest period, it is a good time of hope for youth.