Xiaoman 小满

Overview

Chinese Name: 小满
English Name: Xiaoman; Grain Buds; the 8th of the 24 solar terms
Date: May 20 (21 or 22)
Sun Position: Celestial Longitude of 60°

Brief Introduction

Xiaoman 小满, one of the eight of the 24 Solar Terms二十四节气, the second solar term of summer, reflects the climatic characteristics of heavy rainfall. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 60° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 75°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 60°.

During the Grain Buds period, the summer harvest is about to begin. A folk depicts the rain during this time impressively, “A heavy rainfall makes the river full.” Because of the great increase in rainfall, the river flooded, which makes fish and shrimp large and fat. Undoubtedly this is a good time to eat fish and shrimp. Meanwhile, it is also the harvesting season for fishermen.

Climatic Change

During the Xiaoman solar term, the southern part of China generally experiences more and more rainfall. Due to the active warm and humid airflow in the south, it meets the cold air from the north and south in southern China. At this time, there will often be continuous and large-scale heavy precipitation in southern China, resulting in heavy rain or extra-heavy rain.

As for the northern regions, the rainfall in Xiaoman was not as impressive as the rise in temperature. The Xiaoman solar term is often the period with the longest sunshine time among the twenty-four solar terms in the northern region. It is much easier to heat the dry air in the north than the humid air in the south, so the temperature in some places in the north is easy to suddenly have heavy rain, and the temperature difference with the south is further reduced.

The northern region is dryland agriculture, and the main food crops are wheat. There is a saying in the north that the name of Xiaoman is because the grains of summer-ripening crops such as wheat have begun to be full, but they have not yet matured, so it is called “Xiaoman”.

Health Tips in Xiaoman

High temperatures and humidity are common during the Grain Buds period. The daily temperature difference is significant, especially after the rain, the temperature drops more obviously, so pay attention to adding clothes in time, especially when sleeping at night, pay attention to keep warm to avoid catching a cold. In addition, the increase in temperature over this season may also give rise to nettle rash, rheumatism, sweat spots, eczema and other skin diseases.

It is also important to exercise to keep healthy during the hot summer days. Walking, jogging and practicing Tai chi太极 are popular. According to Traditional Chinese medicine 中医, The diet should be based on refreshing and light vegetarian food, and often eat foods that have the effect of clearing dampness and heat and nourishing yin. For instance, Green beans青豆, Winter squash冬瓜 and Cucumber, etc.

Folk-Custom Activity

Eating Sonchus oleraceus 吃苦菜

Grain Buds is a season for eating Sonchus oleraceus苦苣菜, which is a species of flowering plant in the dandelion tribe Cichorieae of the daisy family Asteraceae, native to Europe and Western Asia. It can be made into different types of dishes. For example, leaves are eaten as salad greens or cooked like spinach. This is one of the species used in Chinese cuisine as Kucai苦菜.

It tastes a little bitter. It has the function of cooling the blood and detoxifying the body. The younger leaves are less bitter and better to eat raw. Steaming can remove the bitterness of older leaves.

Celebrating the birthday of the silkworm deity 庆祝蚕神生日

Silkworm rearing is a traditional byproduct for people in regions south of the Yangtze River. During the Grain Buds season, silkworms have cocooned. People begin to cook cocoons and prepare the spinning wheel for reeling silk.

People in Jiangsu江苏 and Zhejiang浙江 provinces regard this season as the birthday of the silkworm deity. Those who engage in the silk industry thank the deity by offering sacrifices and staging performances. They pray to the deity for blessings and a boom season for the silk business.

Grabbing water 抢水

“Grabbing water” is an old folk farming custom. It is spread in the Haining海宁 area of Zhejiang Province. When this ceremony is held, the elderly deacons usually call each household, light the torches at dawn on the determined date, and eat wheat cakes and wheat balls on the waterwheel base. The deacon used the drum and gong as the trumpet, and the crowd reconciled with the hammer, and set foot on the pre-installed waterwheels on the river.

During the Xiaoman season, dry weather is prone to occur, which is very unfavorable for crops. In the old days, farmers would use water trucks to drain and irrigate to alleviate the drought.