Shuangjiang 霜降

Overview

Chinese Name: 霜降
English Name: Shuangjiang; First Frost(Frost’s Descent); the 18th of the 24 Solar Terms
Date: October 22 (23 or 24)
Sun Position: Celestial Longitude of 210°

Brief Introduction

Shuangjiang 霜降 is the 18th of the 24 Solar Terms二十四节气.It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 210° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 225°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 210°.

Shuangjiang is the last solar term of autumn, during which time the weather becomes much colder than before and frost begins to appear. Shuangjiang solar term is characterized by colder weather in the morning and evening, hotter at noon, and a large temperature difference between day and night.
Since “Shuang” is a manifestation of cold weather and a large temperature difference between day and night, it is named after “Shuangjiang”, which means “a sudden drop in temperature and a large temperature difference between day and night”.

There is a folk saying that “it is better to nourish frost than to nourish in winter”. Autumn belongs to gold, and the spleen and stomach are the foundation of the day after tomorrow.

Climatic Change

Frost consists of white ice crystals of frozen water vapor near the ground. During the First Frost, frost begins to appear. But in the lower reaches of the Yellow River region, frost first appears in late October or early November. As Frost’s Descent comes, the world is filled with the atmosphere of late autumn.

The solar term of “First Frost” is characterized by cold weather in the morning and evening, hotter at noon, and a large temperature difference between day and night. On the national average, frost is the season of the year with the largest temperature difference between day and night. After entering the Shuangjiang, the cold air activities affecting our country become more and more frequent, and the temperature difference between day and night increases rapidly. Especially in Jiangnan and South China, the fluctuations in temperature are more and more obvious. However, some areas in the northwest and northeast have already shown an early winter scene of “cold wind and leaves”

During the First Frost period, generally from late October to early November, as the dry and cold air gradually dominates the world, the warm and humid air has been marginalized, and many weather with summer and early autumn characteristics are withdrawn, and the weather is relatively simple. Before and after the beginning of winter, there are often strong winds to cool down, and some places have entered winter in a short period of time.

Health tips in Shuangjiang

In terms of sleep, the “Huangdi Neijing黄帝内经” proposes to go to bed earlier to conform to the collection of Yin. I have to get up earlier to conform to the relaxation of the Yang. During the First Frost , first of all, we must pay attention to keeping warm, and secondly, we must prevent autumn dryness. Autumn dryness often means a lack of water in the environment and body which could cause symptoms of nasopharyngeal dryness, dry cough, dry skin, etc. The amount of exercise can be increased appropriately. The diet should be balanced and supplemented, pay attention to strengthen the spleen and stomach, adjust the liver and kidney, and eat more corn, radish, lily, honey, etc.

Folk-Custom Activity

Eating persimmons 吃柿子

Eating persimmons during Frost’s Descent can help people resist the cold and protect their bones. In the countryside, people believe that their lips will crack if they don’t eat persimmons during this period.

Eating chestnuts 吃栗子

Eating chestnuts during Frost’s Descent is beneficial for one’s health. Chestnuts have a warm nature and sweet flavor, and are good for nourishing the spleen and stomach, invigorating the circulation of blood, relieving coughs and reducing sputum.

Eating beef 吃牛肉

Beef is rich in protein, amino acids. It can improve the body’s ability to resist disease, and it is especially suitable for people who grow and develop, and after surgery and post-illness to supplement blood loss and repair tissue. Eating beef in cold weather has the effect of warming the stomach, and it is a good food for the cold winter.

Residents in Yulin, Guangxi are accustomed to having fried noodles with beef and river for breakfast, fried radishes with beef for lunch or dinner, or stewed beef brisket to replenish energy and pray for a warm and strong body in winter.

Frost’s Descent Festival 霜降节

People in areas such as Daxin county in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region celebrate the first day of Frost’s Descent. In the Frost’s Descent Festival, the Zhuang people offer sacrifices, dance and sing folk songs. With a history of more than 360 years, the festival is to commemorate Cen Yuyin, a heroine in battles against foreign aggression.