Ancient Chinese people divided the year into 24 parts.They are called "solar terms". They tell people when the weather changes and when to farm.
Awakening of Insects (惊蛰) falls on March 5 and ends on March 19, 2024. As the third solar term in the solar year, it is the key time for spring agricultural (农业的) activities. Here are 4 traditional things you may not know about Awakening of Insects.
Spring thunder (雷) cracks the sky
It's said that around the Awakening of Insects, the earth becomes warm and wet. The hot air near the surface rises. At the same time,the hot and wet air from the north is strong and creates frequent winds. For this reason, thunder happens in this period.
Spring ploughing (春耕)
It is an important time for farmers and is widely seen as the beginning of the busiest time for agricultural work. Old Chinese sayings such as "once the Awakening of Insects comes, spring ploughing never rests" .
A good time for fishing
Around the Awakening of Insects, hibernating (冬眠) animals wake up, and so do fish. They swim from deep water to shallow water. It is a good time for fishing.
Eating pears
As the weather gets warmer and the air becomes dry, some people often feel their mouths dry, have colds or coughs. Because a pear is sweet, juicy and cold, they think eating pears can help cool the body and lungs.