When is the autumnal equinox in 2023?
The autumnal equinox is the sixteenth solar term among the twenty-four solar terms and the fourth solar term in autumn. The sun reaches longitude 180, and the festival is held on September 22-24 of the Gregorian calendar every year.
On the day of the autumnal equinox, the sun shines almost directly on the equator of the earth, and the length of day and night is equal all over the world. The autumnal equinox means "equally divided" and "equally divided", which means equally dividing autumn except day and night. After the autumnal equinox, the position of direct sunlight moves south, and the days in the northern hemisphere become shorter, the nights become longer, the temperature difference between day and night increases, and the temperature drops day by day.
The autumnal equinox used to be the traditional "Moon Festival", and the Mid-Autumn Festival evolved from the "Autumn Moon Festival". Now Mid-Autumn Festival comes from the traditional autumnal equinox "offering sacrifices to the moon". According to textual research, the Mid-Autumn Festival was originally set on the day of the autumnal equinox, but because this day is not always a full moon, the Mid-Autumn Festival was later transferred from the twenty-four solar terms of the autumnal equinox to the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.
The traditional activities of the autumnal equinox solar terms
1, eat autumn vegetables
"Autumn vegetable" is a kind of wild amaranth, which villagers call "autumn Artemisia". On the autumnal equinox, the whole village went to pick autumn vegetables. When searching in the wild, it is often green and thin, about the length of a palm. Picked autumn vegetables are usually boiled with fish fillets at home, which is called "autumn soup". There is a jingle: "autumn soup is dirty, wash the liver and intestines." The whole family is safe and healthy. "
2, vertical eggs
The autumnal equinox has become the best time for vertical egg games, so there is a saying that "when the autumnal equinox arrives, the eggs will look good." Choose a smooth and symmetrical fresh egg that has just been laid for four or five days, gently stand up and put it on the table.
3. Sacrifice the moon
The autumnal equinox used to be the traditional "Festival of Sacrificing the Moon". For example, in ancient times, there was a saying that "the sun is sacrificed in spring and the moon is sacrificed in autumn". Now Mid-Autumn Festival comes from the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival.
Step 4 worship god
The folk festivals around the autumnal equinox are: February 15 is Zhang Kai's birthday; Wang Sheng, also known as "Chen", was a warrior in the Tang Dynasty, who made contributions to Zhangzhou and became the patron saint of Zhangzhou after his death. February 19 is the birthday of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Every birthday, many believers will go to Guanyin Temple to worship.
On February 25th, Sanshan King Sacrifice Day: Sanshan King refers to Dushan, Mingshan, Jinshan and other mountain gods in Jieyang County, Chaozhou Prefecture, Guangdong Province. In the early years, Chaozhou Hakka immigrants were patrons in autumn, so the believers were mainly Hakkas.