Xiazhi
Xiazhi (夏至) is one of the 24 Solar Terms. It reflects the changing of seasons and falls on June 21-23. In the Northern Hemisphere, Xiazhi is the day with the longest daytime (roughly 14 hours in south China) and shortest nighttime, when the sun moves exactly over the Tropic of Cancer.
Contents
Weather:
After Xiazhi, the ground becomes hot, and the wet and dry airs move across, so there are sudden thunderstorms very often in afternoon or at night.
Xiazhi is not the hottest day of the year because the ground is still accumulating heat, not yet to the highest degree. The hottest time of the year will fall between Xiazhi and Liqiu, regarded as the "Sanfu" (Three Hottest Periods). At this time, rainfall also increases significantly, especially in the western regions of south China.
Festival:
Xiazhi is believed to be the earliest festival holiday in China. Even before the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), there was a one-day national holiday on the date of Xiazhi.
Custom:
There is a custom dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) of eating cold noodles on Xiazhi. The long noodles symbolize long days. Another saying is that eating cold noodles on Xiazhi will drive heat away from the body during the hot summer. In south China, people would weigh themselves in the hope of keeping their weight. In rural areas, on the day of Xiazhi, pancakes were made with vegetables, beans, bean curd, and preserved ham as an offering to ancestors. In some places, the grandson would visit the home of his mother's parents and have dinner together with them.
Lifestyle:
Cold noodles are popular food in north China in this season. According to people's experiences, in hot summer, it is better to eat light, not greasy food, to sleep late at night but get up early in the morning, not to stay too long under the sun, and not to sleep with an air conditioner on. To have a vacation is a good idea, especially in the places where temperatures are lower.
