Fourth, explain the vernal equinox, summer solstice, autumn equinox, moon and winter solstice.
In fact, among the 24 solar terms, there is no such thing as four days, only two halves. The vernal equinox is the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox, and the second solstice refers to the summer solstice and the winter solstice. We can judge from the position of the direct point of the sun on the earth. At the equator, it belongs to the vernal equinox and autumn equinox, and the length of day and night is equal. The direct point of the sun moved to the tropic of Capricorn, which is the solstice in winter, and then the days were short and the nights were long. After the vernal equinox, it moved north to the Tropic of Cancer, which is the summer solstice. This climate is characterized by long days and short nights. These solar terms reflect the changes of seasons, and people engage in agricultural production accordingly.
What do these solar terms worship respectively?
According to historical records, as early as the Zhou Dynasty, ancient emperors had the custom of offering sacrifices to the sun at the vernal equinox, to the earth at the summer solstice, to the moon at the autumnal equinox, and to heaven at the winter solstice. Its places of worship are called Ritan, Ditan, Yuetan and Temple of Heaven, which are distributed in the four directions of southeast and northwest. It is said that in the past, before Memorial Day came, no matter how much manpower and material resources were spent, a lot of preparatory work had to be done.
What's the meaning?
These solar terms are very important, so there will be a grand sacrifice. The vernal equinox is not only a solar term, but also a festival, also known as the Spring Festival. The sun god is worshipped and people pray for good weather in the new year. In the past, on the solstice of summer, it was as lively as the Dragon Boat Festival. On that day, the emperor would hold ceremonies to worship the land and pray for a bumper harvest, but with the appearance of the Dragon Boat Festival, many customs were moved into it. The autumnal equinox is also called the Mid-Autumn Festival, but it doesn't necessarily coincide with the full moon every year, so it is later held in the Mid-Autumn Festival. The solstice in winter is a day to worship the heavens and ancestors, and many people go to sweep graves on this day, which is also a unique custom in southern Fujian.