July 23 is Major Heat in Chinese 24 solar terms which is the hottest day of summer in northern China.
In China, the hottest time in summer is normally divided into three periods, which are called Sanfu Days in Chinese, ranging from “mid-July”, “late July to early August” to “mid-August”. The Major Heat refers to the hottest days in “late July to early August”. During the Major Heat period, the high temperature is good for agricultural crops and everything is full of life, making it the most enjoyable time of year!
There is no doubt that Major Heat is a long, hot, and tough time for people to work outside, but a good time for children to enjoy the harvest and play with water.
The abundant sunshine enables the watermelon to become sweet and juicy, which is the perfect refreshing fruit for summer. In the days before refrigerators were invented, people usually put the watermelon in a bucket and sunk it into a well, using the low temperature of the groundwater to cool the watermelon for a whole night, then it would taste cooler and more refreshing becoming a quintessential summer treat.
Playing various water games is also a big part of the life experience during Major Heat. The children, no matter where they live - in the city or in the countryside, like swimming and boating in groups. Having a water fight with a water gun at such a temperature is also a good choice, as their clothes can dry easily in a while anyway.
During Major Heat, keeping healthy is as important as having fun. The Chinese are not averse to cold drinks. Traditional summer beverages, like lotus leaf porridge, mung bean soup, chrysanthemum tea, plum juice, and hawthorn juice, whether it’s warm or cold, are still very popular in China today.
If you wonder why people still follow these traditions, it is probably because of the charm of “life experience” in traditional Chinese culture.
The Han Chinese were one of the first ethnic groups who knew how to live based on the weather from different seasons. It seems that solar terms record the cycles which are necessary for farming but also preserve a lot of living experiences. Therefore, if you want to learn Chinese and Chinese culture, it is very important to understand these Chinese solar terms.
Although the Chinese solar terms serve as traditional methods of calculating seasonal changes, they follow the Gregorian calendar (solar calendar) rather than the lunar calendar (Taiyin calendar). The solar terms are not only the key to knowing Chinese life from ancient times to the present but also a way of understanding their respect for nature and their attitude to life in accordance with the seasons.
So, learning Chinese is not only about acquiring a new language, but also opening up a new way of thinking. It probably would be a good idea for you to learn about Chinese culture by learning the language to start with the most common solar terms!
