Solar Term 101: Chushu, It's Time to Kill the Heat
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The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms (节气 jiéqì) based on seasonal changes and natural phenomenon. They play an important role in guiding agricultural activities, even to this day. But even city-dwellers like us can enjoy them. Each solar term has its own associated customs, traditions, and even recipes. In Solar Terms 101, we delve into what makes each one special...
Name of the solar term: 处暑 chùshǔ lit. "Putting an end to the heat"
Gregorian date: Aug 23 +/- a day (Aug 22, 2020)
When the handle of the Big Dipper points southwest in the sky and the solar longitude reaches 150 degrees, the 14th solar term, chushu, will arrive in China. You can even spot the character 暑 shǔ (heat) in its name but with 处 chù (put something to an end/kill) ahead of it, which makes sense because this solar term means the intolerable summer heat is about to end.
It is sad to witness the lotus withering, but it also means the lotus seeds are ready to be harvested
A spot of direct sunlight continually moves southward during chushu and the Mongolian high cold is preparing to reclaim the territory it lost to the subtropical high during the summer. In northern China, not only will the temperature decrease over this 15-day period, but the solar radiation and rainfall will recede as well, although southerners may still feel the lingering influences from the autumn.
Compared to 立秋 lìqiū, the micro seasons of chushu take a more subtle perspective to depict the changes in nature around this time.
The first one, 鹰乃祭鸟 yīngnǎijìniǎo, was derived from a romantic misunderstanding when ancient Chinese noticed the raptors do not hunt pregnant prey and will line up their captors in front of the nest, as if to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for them to survive. Therefore, people believed the raptors have a sense of justice and can sense the energy of autumn, which sees the end of many lives in wildlife.
The hunting habits of raptors may have made them a holy animal for various civilizations
The second micro season, 天地始肃 tiāndìshǐsù, continues the theme of the life cycles of various creatures coming to an end during the fall season. With the 阴 yīn energy rising from the ground and the 金 jīn element taking control over nature, no more new leaves or sprouts will emerge and the whole world will gradually quiet down.
It may be the end of many creatures' lives, but also is the harvest month in which more and more crops will ripen, such as rice, millet, and sorghum. Hence, the last micro season is named 禾乃登 hénǎidēng. Here, 禾 hé serves as the general term for all crops and 登 dēng means to ripen.
As the heat withdraws further south, and before the cold snap comes down, chushu happens to be the prime time for a trip to the countryside. This solar term usually overlaps with 七月半 qīyuèbàn, 盂兰盆节 yúlánpénjié or 中元节 zhōngyuánjié depending on one's religious belief, which takes place during the 14th and 15th day of the seventh month in the traditional Chinese agricultural calendar. It is like a combination of the Qingming and Lantern Festivals, but with some extra rituals to pay tribute to the God of Soil. People will visit their ancestors' tombs or mourning halls and burn paper money.
A Chinese tradition that has become a national holiday in Japan
At night, they will gather around the river banks and set sail lotus-shaped lamps made from eggplants, in hopes that they will guide wandering souls and lonely ghosts to the afterlife. This tradition was widely practiced in Beijing up until the 60s, when the last lotus lamp floating ceremony was held in Beihai Park. Unfortunately, however, the cultural climate went south and most traditional festivals were banned for promoting superstitious and outdated culture. Many of them have re-emerged in the revival of traditional culture in recent years, but the mid-seventh month festival still stays outside of the spotlight.
Duck is the favorite protein for many regions during this season, not only because the duck meat usually holds a perfect balance of lean meat and fat around this season but also because ducks swim in rivers and ancient Chinese believed eating them around this time helped souls reincarnate safely.
In ancient Beijing and nearby regions, mothers will get a sheep from her brothers or father. This custom was derived from folklore of the Lotus Lantern in which a boy avenged his mother's mistreatment at the hands of his uncle, after which the uncle brought a sheep every year around this time as an apology to his younger sister. Later on, a pair of sheep-shaped pastries replaced the role of real-life sheep in this tradition.
After munching on all of that protein, it is crucial to stay hydrated, especially while the heat has yet to dissipate completely. Herbal tea is a classic and effective beverage to escort you through the remaining sauna-like days.
Read: Don't Shave Your Legs and 9 Other No-Nos This Ghost Month
Images: Sohu, Chinamil, 616pic, Tsunagu Japan, Sina
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