At 20:59 on May 20, Beijing time, the Xiaoman solar term will be ushered in, marking that most parts of the mainland have entered summer one after another, and the temperature difference between the north and the south has further narrowed. At this time, the smoke wind comes, the ears of wheat sway, and the ground is full of red.
The name of Xiaoman has two meanings
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Xiaoman is the eighth of the 24 solar terms, the second solar term of summer, and the one with the fastest warming rate among the summer solar terms. Between May 20 and 22 every year, the sun reaches 60° of ecliptic longitude.
The first meaning of Xiaoman is related to crop growth. As the proverb goes, "The wheat is full." "After Xiaoman, wheat and other crops in the northern part of the mainland are in the time when the grains are about to be full and gradually develop to fullness, so they are called Xiaoman.
The second meaning of Xiaoman is related to precipitation. In the southern part of the mainland, the word "full" is used to describe the amount of water, and the proverb says: "The small is full and the big is full of rivers." "Heavy rains in the south of the small full solar term began to increase, and precipitation was frequent. There is also a saying that "if Xiaoman is dissatisfied, he will cut off the field", which means that if the field is not full of water, it may cause the field to dry up.
What are the phenological phenomena of the small full season?
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According to the climatic characteristics of the Xiaoman season, the ancients summed up the "three waits of Xiaoman".
Ichiyo Naxiu
Bitter herbs, perennial Asteraceae, bloom in spring and summer, feel the fire and produce bitter taste, and can be eaten when tender.
Two-weather grass death
According to Zheng Xuan's interpretation in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the grass with thin branches and leaves such as camelina and tíng lì is a grass. The small yellow flowers bloom in March and bear fruit in April, because they are born of yin energy, and they are afraid of yang energy in summer, and they die.
Three waiting for the wheat to arrive
This term was originally "Little Summer Solstice", and was later renamed "Mai Autumn Solstice". At this time, the wheat begins to ripen, and although it is summer, it is the "autumn" when the wheat is ripe, and the fresh ears of wheat can taste sweet.
Why is there no "Daman"?
Among the 24 solar terms, many solar terms are echoed and symmetrical, such as the beginning of spring, the beginning of summer, the beginning of autumn, the beginning of winter, and then such as the spring equinox, autumn equinox, as well as the summer solstice, winter solstice, etc., in addition, there is a method of echoing, that is, the adjacent solar terms are named after "small and large", such as small summer and big heat, small cold and big cold, small snow and heavy snow.
But Xiaoman is a special solar term, and there is no "big man" relative to it. Why is "Xiaoman" special? Why is it not "Daman" but "Mangzhong"?
Some people think that this is related to the idea of "moderation" in traditional culture, and the ancients did have a lot of ideas such as "overflowing if it is too full" and "full of losses". But in fact, this is just speculation, there is no evidence, and, as far as the grain itself is concerned, it is clear that the "big man" is ripe, and there is no reason for the "small man" to be satisfied.
In fact, similar questions have existed since ancient times. Lang Ying of the Ming Dynasty wrote the article "Small Manmang" in the "Seven Cultivation Manuscripts: Heaven and Earth" once questioned, "The twenty-four qi have a small summer, a big heat, a small cold, a big cold, a small snow, and a big snow, why is there a small manchu but not a big man?"
Obviously, according to the law of solar terms naming, Xiaoman is followed by Daman, but why did it become a mango? "Seventy-two Candidate Explanations of the Lunar Order" explains that "it is said that the seeds of mangs can be planted", but in fact, by the fifth month of the lunar calendar, the wheat with mangs has matured, and other mango crops have long been planted, except for a few arid areas, there are almost no mango crops to be planted at this time.
In this regard, the Song Dynasty book "Lazy Zhenzi" put forward a theory, which believes that the two solar terms of Xiaoman and Mangzhong are related to wheat, "both are called wheat." Xiaoman, in mid-April, is said to be the gas of wheat so far, Fang Xiaoman is full and unripe; Mango seeds, May Festival, "species" is read as "species" of "species", which is said to be the seed of mangs, wheat also, to be ripe. ”
How does the weather change during the small manchurian period?
Figure/IC
Southern China: During the Xiaoman solar term, southern China generally receives a lot of rain and heavy rainfall. The warm and humid air flow from the southern ocean is active, and the cold air from the north and south converges in South China, when there is often a continuous and widespread heavy precipitation in South China, resulting in heavy rain or extremely heavy rainfall, just as the folk proverb "When the river is full, the river is gradually full". After Xiaoman, South China entered the "dragon boat water" rainfall concentration period, and the Jiangnan region is often full of rivers and lakes.
Northern region: The rainy season has not yet entered in northern China, and the rainy season in northern China is from late July to early August every year. For the northern regions, the rainfall is little or no rain, which is not as impressive as the rise in temperature. The Xiaoman solar term is often the period with the longest sunshine time in the 24 solar terms in the northern region, and it is much easier to heat the dry air in the north than the humid air in the south. The northern region is dryland agriculture, and wheat is the main food crop. In the north, the meaning of the name Xiaoman is that the grains of summer crops such as wheat have begun to be full, but they are not yet fully full, which is equivalent to the late stage of milk ripening.
How much do you know about Xiaoman's customs?
In the small full season, there are many traditional customs among the people, such as grabbing water, praying for silkworms, etc., and people use this to pray for a good year.
Sacrifice to the god of cars
In the southern region, the agricultural proverb refers to precipitation among the three major elements of climate (light, precipitation, and temperature). The small full solar term has a large amount of rainfall, and the rivers are so small that they are full. The so-called "small full of three cars", the three cars here refer to water wheels, oil trucks and silk cars. At this time, the crops in the fields need abundant water, and the farmers are busy treading water trucks to turn over the water.
The ancients believed that all things are animist, and the "three gods" correspond to the "three cars", that is, the god of water wheels, the god of oil wheels and the god of silk cars. Worshipping the god of cars is an ancient Xiaoman custom in some rural areas. There is also a legend that the "car god" is the white dragon, and the farmer puts the fish, incense and candles on the car base to worship, and there is a cup of white water in the sacrifice, which is poured into the field during the sacrifice, and there is the meaning of wishing the water source to be prosperous. These customs fully show that people attach great importance to water conservancy, drainage and irrigation.
Silkworm Festival
Xiaoman is the birthday of the silkworm god, so there is a silkworm festival in Jiangsu and Zhejiang during the Xiaoman solar term. China's farming culture is typified by "men ploughing and women weaving". The raw material of women's weaving is mainly cotton in the north and silk in the south. Silk needs to be obtained by raising silkworms and forming cocoons, so silkworm farming is extremely prosperous in rural areas of southern China, especially in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
Dietary vegetables, bitter vegetables
On April 25, 2022, in Xiangyang City, Hubei Province, various edible wild vegetables such as bitter herbs and gray cabbage grew in a wasteland grass in the forest. The picture shows bitter herbs, also known as bitter herbs. Figure/IC
Eating wild vegetables is also one of Xiaoman's customs. Bitter herbs are one of the earliest wild vegetables eaten by the Chinese. In the old days, there was a custom of eating wild vegetables and bitter vegetables, which could clear away heat and fire. The spring breeze blows, the bitter herbs grow, and the barren land is the granary. "Compendium of Materia Medica" :(bitter herbs) is taken for a long time, with peace of mind and qi, light body, and resistant to aging. In medicine, bitter herbs are often used to treat fever, and the ancients also used it to sober up.
Grab water
When it came to Xiaoman, the precipitation in the south began to increase and the rain was abundant. In ancient times, irrigation was mainly carried out by waterwheels. "Grabbing water" is a folk agricultural custom held during the Xiaoman solar term. The waterwheel starts when it is full. It is spread in the area of Haining, Zhejiang, when this kind of ceremony is held, most of the elderly deacons gather each household, light the torch at the dawn of the fixed date, eat wheat cake, wheat cake, and wheat ball on the base of the waterwheel, wait for the deacon to take the drum and gong as the signal, and the group of people will be in harmony with the hammer, step on the waterwheel that has been installed in advance on the small river, and dozens of cars will step together to lead the river water into the field until the river is dry.
In the small full season, this is healthy
Figure/IC
Eat it this way
The summer diet should not be too full, usually eat until seven or eight minutes full, but we must pay attention to a comprehensive and balanced nutritional match. Some people have a loss of appetite due to the weather, so they can eat a little lighter. It is recommended to eat less spicy and fried foods as much as possible, and eat more winter melon, white radish, tomato and other foods that dissolve dampness and help improve gastrointestinal function; You can drink cassia tea, barley tea, chrysanthemum tea, kuding tea, mung bean soup and other beverages.
Sleep like this
After Xiaoman, the temperature rises significantly and the rainfall increases, but it will still be cooler in the morning and evening, and the diurnal difference in temperature is still large, especially after the rainfall, the temperature drops more obviously, so pay attention to adding clothes in a timely manner. When sleeping at night, you should pay attention to keeping warm to avoid catching a cold and getting a cold. At the same time, we should also comply with the law of yang and yin in summer, and appropriately increase the nap time to ensure adequate sleep.
Move like this
Many people have such a misunderstanding: they are too lazy to exercise because they sweat a lot in summer. In fact, it is still necessary to maintain a moderate amount of exercise in summer, but it should not be too intense. In the small full season, you can participate in more sports such as chess, calligraphy, fishing, etc., and you can also exercise in the morning, such as walking, jogging, tai chi, etc., to avoid sweating profusely, hurting yin and yang. After exercising, pay attention to timely hydration.
So still
When it is full, people are prone to irritability, and at this time, it is necessary to adjust the mood to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as hypertension and cerebrovascular accidents caused by violent mood fluctuations. The ancients believed that the main fire in summer should be in the heart, and special attention should be paid to the care of the heart in summer. Western medicine also believes that hot summer days can affect people's heart function. As the weather gets hotter, the blood flow in the body increases, and the load on the heart increases accordingly, so the summer is calmer and more refreshed.
Raise it like this
"Neijing": "All dampness and swelling belong to the spleen." Traditional Chinese medicine believes that problems such as heavy limbs, easy fatigue, insomnia, decreased appetite, nausea, dizziness and other problems are related to the blockage of dampness in the body, which belongs to the spleen and needs to be eliminated at the beginning of dampness. The spleen is the main dampness, and the spleen and stomach function well, so the excess dampness can be transported. Therefore, the focus of health preservation should be on strengthening the spleen and dispelling dampness.
In this small full season that plays the prelude to the harvest
May all be reaped
Study, work, life, career, health
Ambition is complacent, and the circle is complete
Source: Chinese government website, Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, Beijing News, National Museum of Natural History, Beijing Association for Science and Technology, Culture Xicheng, China Weather Network
Editor: Ai Zheng, Design: Ni Ping, Proofreader: Wu Xingfa