White Dew is the 15th solar term in the "24 solar terms". According to the traditional calendar, it is the end of July and the beginning of August in Ganzhi calendar. At this time, the sun reaches 165 ° of the Yellow longitude, and the time range of the joint is from the 7th to the 9th of September of the Gregorian calendar.

In autumn, before the White Dew, the two solar terms are Beginning of Autumn—the 13th of the 24 solar terms and the Limit of Heat, but the arrival of these two solar terms does not mean that the weather will turn cool immediately. White Dew is an important season to reflect the temperature changes in nature, and its arrival means that the sultry summer days are basically over. So far, the temperature in the daytime is relatively high and the water vapor evaporates. However, after the sun sets, the temperature drops faster. At night, the water vapor in the air condenses into small drops of water, attached to the leaves, grass leaves or petals, crystal clear.

According to the ancients' cognition, autumn belongs to "gold" with five elements in four seasons, so it is used to describe autumn dew. After entering the White Dew solar term, the cold air tends to move southward in batches, which will also lead to cooling in a certain range. In the White Dew season, the cool autumn wind reduces the temperature, but also takes away the moisture in the air, which is called "autumn dryness".

When it comes to the phenological characteristics of White Dew, just as the book of rites says, "when the cool wind comes, the white dew falls, and the cicadas cry." As we enter the late autumn, all things gradually fall, which is the alternating season of heat and cold. Reflected in the plants, that is, the original lush leaves of plants will gradually wither and yellow, and many crops will begin to mature.

In the White Dew solar term, there is a folk custom of "collecting clear dew". According to records, "when autumn dew is abundant, it is collected on a plate and fried like caramel, which makes people not hungry for a long time." people think that the dew at this time has a very special effect, and it seems that the dew has become quite ritual. It is also mentioned in the article that in the traditional seasonal belief, the autumn White Dew is the elixir for treating eye diseases, and there is a folk custom of collecting dew to wash eyes in August.

Around the climate characteristics of White Dew, people gradually found out a set of ways to organize agricultural production and arrange clothing, food, housing and transportation. For example, people in some places will collect "ten kinds of white" (also known as "three kinds of white") at this time to simmer black bone white feather chicken, or duck, and think that it can nourish the body and eliminate the atmosphere after eating.

The so-called "ten kinds of white" is said to be 10 kinds of herbs with the word "white", such as hibiscus, which is to correspond with "White Dew" literally. Some places devote particular care to eating longan in the season of White Dew. If you want warm tonic, you can eat duck; to moisten lung to dry, you can eat some autumn pears, grapes, etc., and pay attention to eat more vegetables. People with weak spleen and stomach can drink some porridge to nourish their stomach, and chrysanthemum tea is also a good choice for "abating fire".

Time: September 7, 2020

Source: China News Network