What are the characteristics of the Grain in Ear solar term? What are the traditional customs during the Grain in Ear solar term?

The Grain in Ear season is coming soon. Many friends do not have much common knowledge in this regard. Today I have sorted out and shared with you the characteristics of the Grain in Ear solar term, its traditional customs, and what you should pay attention to in order to maintain your health during the Grain in Ear season. I hope it will be useful to you!

Contents of this article

1. What are the characteristics of the Grain in Ear solar term?

2. What are the traditional customs during Grain in Ear?

3. What should we pay attention to in keeping healthy during Grain in Ear?

What are the characteristics of the Grain in Ear solar term?

During the Grain in Ear season, the temperature rises significantly and the rainfall is relatively abundant. At this time, agricultural production in most parts of China is in the busy season of "summer harvest, summer planting, and summer management".

Except for the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and some areas in the northernmost part of Heilongjiang Province which have not really entered summer, most areas can generally experience the heat of summer. Moreover, after June, high temperatures above 35 degrees may occur in both the south and the north. High temperatures above 40 degrees may also occur in the Huanghuai and eastern parts of the Northwest region.

Towards the end of Grain in Ear season, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River generally enter a long plum rain period. Because there are many rainy days, heavy rainfall, high humidity and little sunshine during the plum rain season, clothes at home are most likely to get moldy, so many places also call plum rain "mold rain".

What are the traditional customs during Grain in Ear?

Grain in Ear Customs: Grain in Ear is a farming custom in southern Anhui that began in the early Ming Dynasty. Every year during the Grain in Ear season, after rice is planted, in order to pray for a good harvest in autumn, a Grain in Ear sacrificial ceremony is held in various places. Every household uses new wheat flour to make steamed buns, kneads the dough into shapes of grains, livestock, fruits and vegetables, and then dyes them with vegetable juice as sacrificial offerings to pray for a good harvest and the safety of the villagers.

Young men and women of the Dong ethnic group in southeastern Guizhou hold a mud fight festival around Grain in Ear every year. On that day, newlyweds, accompanied by good friends, plant rice together, play around and throw mud at each other. At the end of the event, the results are checked and the one with the most mud on his body is the most popular.

In the south, plums ripen in May and June every year. During the Three Kingdoms period, there was an allusion of "discussing heroes over green plum wine". Green plums contain a variety of natural high-quality organic acids and rich minerals. They have unique nutritional and health functions such as purifying blood, regulating intestines, lowering blood lipids, eliminating fatigue, beautifying, regulating acid-base balance, and enhancing human immunity. However, most fresh plums taste sour and astringent, making them difficult to eat directly. They need to be processed before they can be eaten. This processing process is called boiling plums.

Grain in Ear is approaching May, when all flowers begin to wither and fall. People often hold a ceremony to worship the flower god on the day of Grain in Ear to send the flower god back to his place, express gratitude to the flower god, and hope to meet him again next year. However, this custom no longer exists.

What should we pay attention to in keeping healthy during Grain in Ear?

Go to bed late and get up early to get some sunlight (avoid direct sunlight and take precautions against heat stroke) to conform to the abundance of Yang Qi, facilitate the circulation of Qi and blood, and invigorate the spirit. After Grain in Ear, it is hot at noon and people tend to sweat. Clothes should be washed and changed frequently. To avoid heat stroke, take a bath frequently after Grain in Ear, which can loosen the skin and make it easier for "Yang heat" to vent. But one thing to note is that you should not take a bath immediately when you sweat. There is an old Chinese saying, "Sweating does not reveal moisture." If "sweat reveals moisture, acne will occur."

Health experts of all ages believe that a light diet is appropriate in summer. From a nutritional point of view, a light diet plays an irreplaceable role in health preservation. In addition, people are warned not to eat too salty or too sweet food. Too salty food will cause excess sodium ions in the body, which will increase blood pressure and even cause cerebrovascular dysfunction. Eating too much sweet food can easily lead to the accumulation of intermediate products such as sucrose, which can lead to hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia, and in severe cases can also induce diabetes.

It is easy to catch a cold in summer, which is called "heat cold" in traditional Chinese medicine. It causes runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, sometimes fever, headache, etc. Some people also experience vomiting and diarrhea. In terms of diet, you can drink mung bean soup, honeysuckle dew, chrysanthemum tea, and reed root flowers to clear away heat and relieve summer heat. At the same time, avoid eating greasy, sticky, sour, spicy foods, such as glutinous rice, fried foods, sea fish, and sweets. When you have a fever, do not eat ginseng, cordyceps, placenta, deer antler and other warm tonics, and do not eat mutton or dog meat.

Patients with chronic bronchitis, asthma, and stomach pain caused by deficiency and cold, in addition to paying attention to the above matters, should also avoid excessive consumption of cold drinks in their diet, and it is best not to consume cold drinks at all.