Lichun

From Wiki China org cn
Lichun

Lichun (立春), or Start of Spring, is the first solar term in the year. It reflects the changing of seasons, indicating the beginning of spring, when the average temperature is 10-22℃ (50-68oF). After Lichun, days become longer and nights shorter, while weather is getting warmer and vitality returns to all lives.

Farming:

In ancient China, people mainly lived on farming, and the change of seasons greatly affected agricultural production. Spring is the season for planting, so after Lichun farmers may start to work in the fields, wishing to have a good harvest year. For city people, time has come for them to do outdoor activities, breathe spring air, and enjoy warm sunshine.


Festival:

Lichun is also regarded as the "Festival for Farmers" since it is the last day of the slacken season before busy farming.

To celebrate Lichun, it is tradition to eat "Spring Pancakes," which are also known as "Spring Bites," to remind people to eat more vegetables in spring to keep healthy. A "Spring Pancake" is a piece of very thin round pancake, which you wrap around various kinds of cooked vegetables and meat. The cooked vegetables could be a mix of chives, spinach, bean sprouts, bean noodles, egg and shredded meat. The meat could be sausage, bacon, pork, smoked chicken, or braised duck with soy sauce.