The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into "24 solar terms". The Start of Summer (li xia), the 7th term of the year, begins on May 5 and ends on May 20 this year.

The Start of Summer marks the transition between seasons. On this day, the sun's rays reach an angle of 45 degrees to the earth. The temperature will rise quickly during this period, but in northern China, the weather remains mild, not tropical.

Here are five things to know about the Start of Summer.

Greeting the Start of Summer

The term "Start of Summer" originated at the end of the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). Since it is a crucial time for the harvest of summer crops such as wheat and canola, ancient Chinese emperors in different dynasties attached great importance to the Start of Summer.

In the Western Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-771 BC), the emperor led his officials in a ceremony to welcome the Start of Summer and encouraged residents to seize this key time for farm work. It is said that most of the decorations were arranged in the color red, including the emperor's and officials' clothing, jade pendants, horses, and flags, to show respect for the god of summer and to pray for a good harvest.

Checking one's weight

The custom of weighing people at the Start of Summer originated during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) and is still practiced in South China today.

After lunch on the day of the Start of Summer, people would suspend a stool or a basket from a beam. The young and old took turns to be weighed, and the person calculating the weight would offer good wishes and auspicious words. It is said that those who were weighed would stay healthy in the hot summer.

Eating eggs

In ancient China, people believed a round egg symbolized a happy life and eating eggs on the day of the Start of Summer was a prayer for good health. They put leftover tea into boiled water together with eggs and the original "tea egg" was created. Later people improved cooking methods and added spices to the eggs to make them more delicious. Today tea egg has become a traditional snack in China.

Egg Competitions

As an old Chinese saying goes, "Hanging an egg on a child's chest can prevent them from getting summer diseases." Parents prepare boiled eggs, place them in a knitted bag, and hang them on their child's chest.

At school, children gather to play egg competitions by colliding each other's eggs in pairs. The one whose egg remained unbroken wins.

Take care of the heart

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the Start of Summer is a key time to moisten the heart. When the weather grows hotter, dampness and heat can affect human health. Food rich in vitamins and cool in nature is highly recommended. Vegetables like cucumber, tomato, watercress, and celery, and fruits such as watermelon, pear and strawberry are top choices.

Vocabulary

立夏

lì xià

Start of Summer

农活

nóng huó

farm work

好运

hǎo yùn

good luck

吉祥话

jí xiáng huà

auspicious words

茶叶蛋

chá yè dàn

tea egg

斗蛋

dòu dàn

Egg Competitions

在中国古代，人们认为圆圆的鸡蛋象征着幸福的生活。

zài zhōng guó gǔ dài，rén men rèn wéi yuán yuán de jī dàn xiàng zhēng zhe xìng fú de shēng huó.

In ancient China, people believed a round egg symbolized a happy life.

中医认为，立夏是滋润心脏的关键时刻。

zhōng yī rèn wéi，lì xià shì zī rùn xīn zàng de guān jiàn shí kè.

According to Chinese traditional medicine, the Start of Summer is a key time to moisten the heart.