As the saying goes, "On February 18th, Monk Ma crossed the river"? Is there really a horse monk?

There is a saying in the old Changzhou people: Only when Monk Ma crosses the river on February 18th will the climate of spring really come. People in Changwu area call February 18th of the lunar calendar "the horse monk crossing the river".

Ma monk is neither immortal nor Buddha, nor immortal nor demon. He is a folk virtual character.

"On February 18th, a horse and a monk crossed the river" is not only a proverb, but also a meteorological proverb. Facts have proved that there is bound to be a final "cold storm" after the spring warmth around February 18 of the lunar calendar every year.

Changwu people hope that the southeast wind will blow on this day (the weather is sunny and humid) and send "Ma monk across the river", so that the harvest will be good and the population will be safe. If the northwest wind blows (the weather is cold and humid), "Monk Ma" will not cross the river, and natural and man-made disasters will surely reach the south of the Yangtze River.

Legend: Monk Ma has four daughters, namely Fengshan, Yushan, Snow Mountain and Volcano. Generally, snow-capped mountains and volcanoes don't go home, because going home will bring disaster. Fengshan and Yushan are filial and often go home to see them. Every year around the eighth day of the second lunar month, they go home to visit their father, Monk Ma. So it rains around the eighth day of February, and it is often windy and rainy around the eighth day of February.

"Horse monk crossing the river" refers to the phenomenon of "late spring cold" in Changwu area, which is in a special geographical position.