Grain in Ear, also known as "busy farming", is the ninth solar term of the 24 solar terms, the third solar term in summer, and the beginning of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. In this season, the temperature rises significantly, the rainfall is abundant, and the air humidity is high, so it is suitable for late rice and other cereal crops.

There are three signs of Grain in Ear. The first sign of Grain in Ear is the appearance of Mantis. The ancients thought that the mantis felt the Yin Qi was born in the time of Grain in Ear, so it broke the cocoon. Mantis is an expert of mimicry in nature. It can look like flowers, bamboo, summer grass and autumn leaves. The second sign of the Grain in Ear is "swallows begin to sing". The third sign of the Grain in Ear is the "anti-tongue silence". In the eyes of the ancients, the Shrike and the anti-tongued bird are the two typical representatives of the birds that are good at singing. The Shrike crows because of the slight growth of Yin Qi, and the anti-tongued bird receives the sound because of the slight growth of Yin Qi. By the middle of summer, the fragrance of flowers has gone, and the singing of birds is becoming rarer.

On the day of Grain in Ear, there is not only harvest and planting in the field, but also a very "romantic" custom - sacrifice to the God of flowers. It is nearly may for the Grain in Ear, and all the flowers begin to wither and fall. Most of the folk hold the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the God of flowers on the day of Grain in Ear, some tie the silk belt to the flower branches, some stick the fallen petals to the trees, and send the God of flowers back to their place. At the same time, they express their gratitude to the God of flowers and hope to meet again next year. In a dream of Red Mansions, "Daiyu Buries flowers" is the day of grain planting.

In the south, May and June are the ripe seasons of plums. In the Three Kingdoms period, there was an allusion of "the green plum makes wine and discusses the hero". Green plum contains a variety of natural high-quality organic acids and rich minerals. It has unique nutritional and health functions such as purifying blood, reducing blood fat, eliminating fatigue, beautifying, adjusting acid-base balance, enhancing human immunity, etc. However, most of the fresh plums taste sour and astringent, which are difficult to be directly imported. They can be eaten only after being processed. This processing process is called boiling plum. There are many ways to cook the plum. The simple way is to cook the plum with sugar, which is very refreshing.

When it comes to the season of Grain in Ear, the rice is planted. In order to pray for a good harvest in autumn, a Miao sacrificial ceremony will be held all over southern Anhui. Every family uses the new wheat flour to evaporate the package, knead the flour into the shape of five grains, six animals, fruits and vegetables, and then dye the color with the vegetable juice as the sacrificial offering to pray for the harvest and the safety of the villagers.

In the southeast of Guizhou Province, Dong young men and women hold mud fighting Festival before and after Grain in Ear every year. On the same day, the newlyweds, accompanied by good young men and women, planted seedlings together, frolicked while transplanting, and threw mud at each other. At the end of the activity, the person with the most mud is the most popular.

Time: June 5, 2020

Source: China Net