What does Rain Water mean by solar terms?

Rain Water is the second of the 24 solar terms, which is located around the 15th day of the first lunar month (18-20 February of the Gregorian calendar). The sun reaches 330 degrees of longitude, which, like Grain Rain, Lesser Snow and heavy snow, reflects the phenomenon of precipitation. On this day, the married daughter usually goes home to visit her parents and gives her mother a piece of red silk and a pot of stewed meat. Let's take a look at what Rain Water solar terms mean.

The meaning of Rain Water's solar terms

Rain Water's solar terms mean entering the spring of meteorological significance. After "Rain Water", the temperature in most parts of China has risen above 0 ℃, the daily average temperature in the Huang-Huai Plain has reached about 3 ℃, the average temperature in the south of the Yangtze River is about 5 ℃, the temperature in South China is above 10 ℃, while the average temperature in North China is still below 0 ℃. Before and after Rain Water, rape and winter wheat generally turned green and had higher requirements for water. "Spring rain is as precious as oil", when the appropriate precipitation is particularly important for the growth of crops. On the other hand, the precipitation in North China, Northwest China and Huang-Huai region is generally less, which often can not meet the needs of agricultural production.

If there is little rain in early spring and Rain Water is irrigated in time before and after spring, the best economic benefit can be obtained. In the area south of the Huaihe River, it is mainly to strengthen ploughing and hoeing, and at the same time do a good job in clearing ditches and draining water in the field to prevent excessive spring rain, resulting in wet damage to the roots. As the saying goes: "wheat sprouts, vegetables water flowers", to the moss of rape should be timely application of moss flower fertilizer, in order to compete for the weight of pods. The seedling raising of double-cropping early rice in South China has begun, so we should pay attention to grasp the "cold tail and warm head", sow sunny seeds, and strive to sow the whole seedling.

Rain Water's weather of solar terms

The weather of Rain Water is changeable in season, and it is one of the seasons with the most cold wave in the whole year. The weather that suddenly turns hot and cold does great harm to the growth of crops, forests and fruits that have already sprouted and turned green, as well as people's health. While paying attention to the work of preventing cold and freezing in crops, greenhouse vegetables and industrial transportation departments, we should still pay attention to personal health care work, so as to prevent the occurrence of influenza and other epidemic diseases in late winter and early spring.

Some of the weather proverbs about Rain Water predict the late weather on the basis of rain and snow, such as "Rain Water has a hundred overcast with rain" and "Rain Water has rained and overcast to Grain Rain". According to the cold and warm to predict the late weather, "cold Rain Water, warm sting", "warm Rain Water, cold alarm". There are also those who predict the weather in the later period according to the wind, such as "when the wind blows from the east of Rain Water, there will be rain in the summer" and so on.

The weather characteristics of Rain Water's solar terms have a great impact on the growth of overwintering crops. The agricultural proverb says: "Rain Water has good rain crops and a treasure of spring and spring." Rain Water is busy sending fat when spring is getting warmer. " According to the characteristics of the weather, the vast rural areas should weed and fertilize wheat, clear ditches and bury soil moisture, so as to prepare for drainage and waterlogging prevention. With the arrival of Rain Water's solar terms, snowflakes are falling, the cold weather is gradually disappearing, while the spring breeze is blowing, the ice and snow are melting, and the days of moist air, mild sunshine and rustling drizzle are coming to us.

The custom of Rain Water's solar terms

Rain Water has a very interesting activity in the folk on this day called "La Bao Bao". (Bao Bao is a godfather) in the past, people had a habit of asking God for gossip for their children to see what their children's lives were and whether they needed a godfather. The purpose of finding a godfather is to let a son or daughter grow up smoothly and healthily. This may also be related to the previous medical conditions, because the medical conditions are not good, and many children are sick and cannot be treated at all. Therefore, it is necessary to raise the child with the help of the godfather's blessing.) so there is Rain Water's festival to pull the insurance activities. This has become a common custom for a long time year after year.

But Rain Water festival pulls the godfather, the intention is "the rain and dew moistens easy to grow" the meaning. The folk of western Sichuan have a special place to pull godfathers on this day. No matter whether it is sunny or rainy on this day, ask the godfather's parents to carry the wine, vegetables, incense and wax paper money, and take the children to wear around in the crowd to find the right godfather. If you want a child to grow up and have knowledge, he should invite a literati to be a godfather, and if the child is weak, he should pull a tall, strong man to be a godfather. Once someone is dragged to be a "godfather", some can earn it and run away, while others can't get away with it, and most of them will readily agree, that is, they think that they are trusted by others, so their own fate will be better. The latter puller repeatedly shouted, "beat up the in-laws," set up the wine and food, burn the incense and light the wax, and tell the children to "worship the godfather and kowtow,"invite the godfather to drink and eat," and "ask the in-laws to give the doll a name." La Baobao is considered a success. After the breakup, there are also people who walk around all the year round called "perennially dry in-laws", while others who have no contact after the breakup are called "crossing the road to dry in-laws".

Another major custom of Rain Water's Day is that the son-in-law goes to send the festival to his parents-in-law. The gifts for the festival are usually two rattan chairs with a red belt one foot or two feet long, which is called "longevity", which means wishing parents-in-law a long life. Another typical gift for the festival is "canned meat": stewed pig feet and snow-capped beans and kelp in a casserole, then sealed the can with red paper and red rope, and sent it to his parents-in-law. This is an expression of gratitude and respect to the parents-in-law who worked so hard to bring up their daughter. If it is a festival for the newlywed son-in-law, the parents-in-law should also give back umbrellas to allow the son-in-law to travel, to protect him from the wind and rain, and to wish his son-in-law a smooth and safe journey.

In the folk of western Sichuan, the Rain Water Festival is a very imaginative and humane solar term. Whether it rained or not, the day was full of rainy poetry: at dawn in the morning, on the foggy roadside, there were some young women, holding young sons or daughters, waiting for the first pedestrian to pass in front of them. And once someone passes by, whether male or female, old or young, stop each other, restrain their son or daughter to the ground, kowtow and send them, and be godsons or daughters for each other. This is called "bumping into worship and mailing" in western Sichuan, that is, there is no predetermined target in advance, and it is who you bump into. The purpose of "bumping into worship and mailing" is to let the children grow up smoothly and healthily. Of course, "bumping into worship and mailing" in modern society generally retains this custom only in rural areas, and city people generally or friends or classmates or colleagues "send" their children to each other.

Rain Water's return to his mother's house during the festival is another custom popular in western Sichuan. When the folk came to the Rain and Water Festival, married daughters brought gifts to their parents' home to visit their parents. Women who have given birth to children should bring gifts such as canned meat and chairs to thank their parents for their upbringing. For women who have not been pregnant for a long time, their mother sews a pair of red trousers and wears them close to the body, which is said to enable them to get pregnant and give birth as soon as possible. This custom is still popular in the countryside.