Why do we hang eggs on the beginning of summer? The origin and meaning of hanging eggs on the beginning of summer

Why does Lixia hang eggs? May 5, 2017 is the Beginning of Summer. On that day, people not only eat eggs, but also hang them around their necks. Next, let’s take a look at what Lixia Hanging Egg means.

Why does Lixia hang eggs?

Traditional customs

"Hanging eggs" is one of the common customs of the Beginning of Summer. On this day, people boil eggs. In some places, they specially use black tea or walnut shells to boil eggs, which are called "Beginning of Summer eggs." Place the eggs in egg nests woven with colored threads and feed them to each other. Either hang it on the child's chest or hang it on the tent.

Hanging eggs

As the saying goes, "If you hang an egg on your chest during the Beginning of Summer, your child won't suffer from summer heatstroke." Because the temperature begins to rise after the Beginning of Summer and the hot summer is approaching, children are particularly prone to physical fatigue, weakness in the limbs, loss of appetite and gradual weight loss. These are the symptoms of "summer heat". Summer heat is a common symptom in summer. Patients often suffer from abdominal distension, loss of appetite, fatigue and weight loss. Children are particularly susceptible to summer heat. It is said that eating eggs on the day of the Beginning of Summer can prevent this disease.

The Legend of Hanging Eggs

Legend has it that every year at the beginning of summer, the plague god would sneak into the underworld to spread the plague, and anyone infected by him would be called "summer sickness." Therefore, the common people went to the Nuwa Temple to burn incense and kowtow, praying for her to eliminate disasters and bring blessings and protect their descendants. The goddess Nuwa told people in a dream that on the day of the Beginning of Summer, if children were to hang cooked chicken, duck or goose eggs on their chests, they would avoid summer heat stroke. From then on, summer heat stroke never happened again. To commemorate this victory and to thank the goddess Nuwa for her great kindness, every household has the custom of hanging eggs on their chests every year at the beginning of summer.