Solar spells: Beginning of Spring & Rain Water

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Rain Water

The day of “Rain Water” (雨水) falls on February 18 this year. As its name suggests, after the day of Rain Water, February showers bring relief to the parched land. In most places across China, chilliness gradually disperses, snow is rarely seen and it starts to rain, creating favorable conditions for overwintering crops to awaken. Farmers seize this auspicious moment to prepare the ground for ploughing and the application of fertilizers.



If the “Beginning of Spring” is the prelude to springtime when there’s still a slight wintery chill in the air, then “Rain Water” is in spring itself. During this solar term, spring makes great strides towards us with rising temperatures, thawing rivers, the awakening of hibernating animals and the return of migratory birds.

At this time, the average temperature in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River basin – the cradle of Chinese civilization – is usually above zero. Ancient people named this solar term after the first spring rain because wheat seedlings demand a lot of water. It is a common saying in China that rainwater in springtime is as precious as cooking oil.



In some places in China, married daughters need to pay a visit to their parents on “Rain Water” day and give them gifts of red silk and stewed porridge.



The Lantern Festival, roughly two weeks after the Spring Festival, always comes slightly before or after Rain Water day. People celebrate this festival by watching the full moon, guessing the answers to riddles written on lanterns and eating tangyuan (glutinous rice dumplings) with their families. After this festival, the Chinese New Year period comes to an end, with the beginning of a brand new year and a new school semester.

Also worth noting is that after the “Rain Water” day, pockets of cold air continue to move over northern China, making the weather very changeable. Traditional Chinese medicine advises people to make sure they stay warm in spring, despite rising temperatures. They should keep wearing their warm winter clothes in early spring, because unpredictable weather can easily affect the body and even cause emotional instability and poor mental health. However, many young people disregard this advice, especially girls who cannot wait to wear summer skirts and dresses again, leaving it to the elderly to keep to the tradition of swaddling themselves in warm clothes.

(Compiled by China Today based on The Twenty-Four Solar Terms Published by Dolphin Books)

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