What is the meaning of the Beginning of Summer solar term and what are the taboos during it?

What is the meaning of the Beginning of Summer solar term and what are the taboos during it?
Introduction: The Beginning of Summer is one of the 24 solar terms, and there are taboos about the Beginning of Summer. So what is the meaning of the Beginning of Summer, and what are the taboos about the Beginning of Summer? April is also known as Mengxia, Yinyue and Meiyue. The fourth month of the lunar calendar means the arrival of summer. Shuimoxiansheng.com provides you with more content related to the fourth month of the lunar calendar in 2019. Welcome to learn more!

What is the meaning of the Beginning of Summer solar term?

Lixia is the seventh solar term in the twenty-four solar terms of the lunar calendar and the first solar term of summer, marking the official start of midsummer. It is when the sun reaches 45 degrees of the ecliptic longitude. When the Dipper points to the southeast, it is the beginning of summer. All things grow at this time, hence the name the beginning of summer.
"Collected Explanations of the 72 Seasonal Changes" states: "The Beginning of Summer is the festival of April. The meaning of the word 'beginning' is the same as that of 'spring'. 'Summer' means temporary. All things at this time are temporary." In astronomy, the Beginning of Summer means the farewell to spring and the beginning of summer. People usually regard the Beginning of Summer as an important solar term when the temperature rises significantly, the hot summer is approaching, thunderstorms increase, and crops enter the peak growth season.

What are the taboos during the Beginning of Summer?

Taboos at the Beginning of Summer: Avoid sitting on the threshold
There is also a saying that it is taboo to sit on the doorstep on the day of the Beginning of Summer. In Anhui, the "Taihu County Chronicle" of the 10th year of Daoguang recorded: "On the beginning of summer, bamboo shoots and amaranth are used to make soup, and people are warned not to sit on the doorstep or sleep during the day, as summer worries will lead to fatigue and illness."
It is said that if you sit on the doorstep on this day, you will feel tired and sick in the summer. In the 1930s, the Annals of Ningguo County recorded: "The beginning of summer. It is used to weigh the body's weight and avoid diseases, so-called not being afraid of summer.
It is said that if you sit on the threshold at the beginning of summer, you will feel listless for the whole year. "On the day of the Beginning of Summer, children are forbidden to sit on stone steps. If they do, they must sit on seven steps, and then all diseases will be cured.
It is taboo to sit on the door threshold. It is said that sitting on the door threshold will cause sore feet in summer. If you sit on one door threshold, you must sit on six more to make a total of seven, to get rid of the nightmare.
Taboos during the Beginning of Summer: Avoiding evil spirits and snakes
On the day of Beginning of Summer, Yunnan folk customs focus on warding off evil spirits and avoiding snakes. According to the "Yunnan General Records" of the first year of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, on the day of the beginning of summer in April, "sophora japonica branches and red flowers are inserted into the door to ward off evil spirits; and the foot of the wall is surrounded by gray to avoid snakes."
Avoiding snakes in April is related to the Chinese zodiac sign of snake. The months are recorded in the earthly branches, with March as Chen and April as Yi. To ward off evil spirits at the beginning of summer, people put soapberry branches and red flowers on the door, which implies the harmony of black (water) and red (fire).
According to the ancient theory of the five elements, black represents water and red represents fire. The hope is to achieve a balance through mutual restraint between the two.
At the same time, the ancients not only used soapberry to remove dirt in daily life, but also used it as medicine, believing that it had insecticidal properties. It is regarded as a ward off evil spirits and is also used to remove filth and drive away evil spirits.

Analysis of the Origin of Solar Terms

The solar term Lixia was established in the late Warring States Period (239 BC), heralding the change of seasons and the beginning of summer.
In fact, according to climatological standards, summer begins when the daily average temperature stably rises to above 22℃. Around the "Beginning of Summer", only the area south of Fuzhou to Nanling Mountains in my country experiences the true summer of "dense green trees and long summer days, with buildings reflected in ponds", while parts of the Northeast and Northwest have just entered spring. The average temperature in most parts of the country is around 18-20℃, which is the mid-spring and late spring season when "all kinds of red and purple are competing for beauty". It is May now and locust flowers are blooming in many places.

Your horoscope has secretly arranged your love luck information. In order to stop wandering around in circles for love, quickly click on the [Premium Calculation] below for advance predictions. I wish you can find the right one soon!

<<:  Analysis of the fate of a baby girl born on April 26th of the lunar calendar in 2019!

>>:  Is May 14th of the lunar calendar in 2019 an auspicious day to start renovations?

Recommend

Are people who die on Christmas Day okay? What are the taboos at funerals?

Introduction: From birth to death, it is an inevit...

Five omens predicting that you will lose money, come and watch

Introduction: No one wants to encounter financial...