What to do during the Spring Equinox? Traditional folk activities during the Spring Equinox

The 2017 Spring Equinox is coming soon. During this time, the weather is warm, flowers are blooming, grass is growing, and birds are singing. So, what should we do on the Spring Equinox? Next, let’s take a look at the folk activities related to the Spring Equinox.

Folk customs related to the Spring Equinox

Eat spring vegetables

The rhyme for the Spring Equinox goes: "Spring soup cleanses the internal organs and cleanses the liver and intestines. The whole family, young and old, will be safe and healthy." Every year during the Spring Equinox, people go to the fields to pick spring vegetables. Then the spring vegetables and fish are made into a boiling soup, which is called spring soup. Eating spring vegetables during the Spring Equinox signifies good health, peace, and smooth sailing for the whole family.

Spring Festival

"Book of Rites": "Sacrifice the sun on the altar." Kong Yingda's commentary: "It refers to the vernal equinox." During the Spring Equinox, everyone starts sweeping tombs and paying homage to their ancestors. The customs of spring sacrifices vary from place to place. In some places, grand ancestor worship ceremonies are held, while in some places, the entire clan and the entire village will go out to sweep tombs during the Spring Equinox. The scale is large, and the team often reaches hundreds or even thousands of people.

Sticky bird mouth

Every year on the Spring Equinox, every household cooks rice dumplings, then sticks the unfilled dumplings on a thin bamboo fork and places them outside in the fields to prevent sparrows from destroying the crops. This is the legendary custom of "sticking the sparrow's mouth".