Related News
Watermelon and rice as "Autumn Begins"
By Chen Zhaoxiong and Pan Zheng |
September 26, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FOR many Chinese, their deepest impression of Autumn Begins, one of the 24 solar terms, was eating watermelon. The juicy fruit is very common in summer. On the day of Autumn Begins, usually in early August, people would buy a big watermelon and cut it into pieces, one piece for each person in the family.
Eating watermelon on Autumn Begins is a tradition in jiangnan (south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River). It is said that in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), many people got diarrhea on Autumn Begins. After a local official's daughter was cured by eating watermelons, everyone did likewise. It gradually became a tradition to eat watermelon that day. The weather began to cool down after Autumn Begins and eating watermelon also symbolized a farewell to the summer.
Rice becomes ripe after Autumn Begins. Water is good for rice most of the time except for harvest. After Autumn Begins, farmers will pump water out of the farms to leave the rice exposed to the sun. After about 10 days, the rice will become ripe and will soon be ready for harvest.
In ancient times, after Autumn Begins there was another day called Qiushe Day, which was a festival to worship the land god. It originated in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). On this day, since the harvest had been completed, people would worship the god by eating cakes and drinking alcohol. It was also a day for women to return their parents' home, brought with them the fruitful gifts to their parents.
Qiushe Day was usually around the Autumn Equinox. A Jiading folk saying stated that if Qiushe Day came after the Autumn Equinox, the rice harvest would be good; but on the other hand, if the day came before equinox, the rice price would be high. It was a good way to predict the harvest in those days.
Eating watermelon on Autumn Begins is a tradition in jiangnan (south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River). It is said that in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), many people got diarrhea on Autumn Begins. After a local official's daughter was cured by eating watermelons, everyone did likewise. It gradually became a tradition to eat watermelon that day. The weather began to cool down after Autumn Begins and eating watermelon also symbolized a farewell to the summer.
Rice becomes ripe after Autumn Begins. Water is good for rice most of the time except for harvest. After Autumn Begins, farmers will pump water out of the farms to leave the rice exposed to the sun. After about 10 days, the rice will become ripe and will soon be ready for harvest.
In ancient times, after Autumn Begins there was another day called Qiushe Day, which was a festival to worship the land god. It originated in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). On this day, since the harvest had been completed, people would worship the god by eating cakes and drinking alcohol. It was also a day for women to return their parents' home, brought with them the fruitful gifts to their parents.
Qiushe Day was usually around the Autumn Equinox. A Jiading folk saying stated that if Qiushe Day came after the Autumn Equinox, the rice harvest would be good; but on the other hand, if the day came before equinox, the rice price would be high. It was a good way to predict the harvest in those days.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
