The Chinese solar calendar has 24 solar terms, and Summer Solstice or xiazhi, is the 10th one. On this day, the northern hemisphere gets the most sunlight. But the really hot days come 20-30 days later.
Long ago, people made the 24 solar terms to help with farming. Even today, these terms still guide our lives. For example, we eat special foods and follow healthy living tips. Here are some cool things about Summer Solstice.
First, it’s the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. In Mohe, Heilongjiang, the day lasts nearly 17 hours. It’s also a great time to see the aurora (极光) there.
In ancient China, Summer Solstice was a big festival. Before the Qing Dynasty, people had a day off. Song Dynasty records show officials could rest for three days. Women gave fans and sachets to each other to stay cool and drive away mosquitoes.
In Mojiang, Yunnan, there’s an amazing sight. The sun shines directly overhead, and we can see “an upright pole with no shadows”. The Hani people celebrate this with sacrifices (祭品).
Many Chinese people, like those in Shandong and Beijing, eat noodles on this day. In Shaoxing, Zhejiang, they hold dragon boat races on Summer Solstice, not on Dragon Boat Festival.
There’s also an interesting idiom story. A man named Du Xuan thought there was a snake in his cup at a Summer Solstice banquet. Later he found it was just a bow’s shadow. The idiom “杯弓蛇影” now means being too suspicious.
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