The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. The Start of Summer, the seventh solar term of the year, begins this year on May 5 and ends on May 19.

中国传统二十四节气的第七个节气是立夏，今年的立夏从5月5日开始，5月19日结束。

The Start of Summer is the first one in the summer season. When the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 45°, it marks the beginning of the Start of Summer, signifying the the beginning of the first period of summer. The Start of Summer begins when the Big Dipper points to the Southeast, and everything starts to grow ever since, which is the reason why it was named as the Start of Summer, since the character Xia initially means big or great.

立夏是夏季的第一个节气，表示孟夏时节的正式开始，太阳到达黄经45度时为立夏节气。斗指东南，维为立夏，万物至此皆长大，故名立夏也。

In ancient China, people divided the Start of Summer into three periods—first period: the sounding of the crickets; second period: the earthworms coming out; third period: the budding of the cucumber blossom. From this description, we can see that when summer begins, the first thing that occurs is the chirping of the crickets in the fields, then the activity of the earthworms is seen and last the vine of the cucumber begins its rapid growth.

我国古代将立夏分为三候：“一候蝼蝈鸣，二候蚯蚓出，三候王瓜生。”即是说这一节气中首先可听到蜊蜊蛄在田间的鸣叫声，接着大地上便可看到蚯蚓掘土，然后王瓜的蔓藤开始快速攀爬生长。

Astronomers indicate that during the solar period of the Start of Summer, summer crops enter their final growth stages, the winter wheat begins its flowering and ripening stage, rape enters its final growth stage and the summer harvest is tentatively determined. As a result, the farmers have the proverb, “Summer harvest may be evaluated since the Start of Summer.”

天文专家表示，立夏时节，夏收作物进入生长后期，冬小麦扬花灌浆，油菜接近成熟，夏收作物年景基本定局，故农谚有“立夏看夏”之说。

迎夏仪式The Ceremony of Welcoming the Summer

According to historical records, during the Zhou Dynasty (1099-1050 BC), on the day of the Start of Summer, the emperor led all the civil and military officials to the southern outskirts of country’s capital city to welcome the summer by holding a sacrificial ceremony of offerings to the Yan Emperor and Zhu Rong (the fire god). In ancient times, the color of the ceremonial dress, the jade pendant they worn in this ceremony, the carriages and horses they rode and even the flags on their carriages were all red. It signified that the fiery summer was about to arrive.

据记载，周朝时立夏这天，皇帝要率领文武百官到京城外的南郊迎夏，举行祭祀炎帝、祝融的仪式。古时，迎夏的队伍穿的礼服、佩的玉、坐的马车和马、甚至于车上的旗帜都是红色的，这象征着炽热的夏天就要来了。

斗蛋Egg Competition

Every family prepares boiled hulun eggs (boiled shell eggs without any cracks). Then, soak the eggs in cold water for a few minutes, put the eggs in a knitted bag and hang them on the chests of the children. The children gather together to hold the egg competition. There are two ends on each egg: the pointed end is the top and the round end is the bottom. In the competition, the children let the pointed end of their egg collide with the pointed end of their competitor’s egg, and in the same way, the round end to the round end. The children battle one by one and those whose eggs are broken lose the game. The person who has the egg with the hardest pointed end is the champion, and the egg is named as “Dawang”. The person who has the egg with the hardest round end is the runner-up, and the egg is named as “Xiaowang” or “Erwang”

家家户户煮好囫囵蛋（鸡蛋带壳清煮，不能破损），用冷水浸上数分钟之后再套上早已编织好的丝网袋，挂于孩子颈上。孩子们便三五成群，进行斗蛋游戏。蛋分两端，尖者为头，圆者为尾。斗蛋时蛋头斗蛋头，蛋尾击蛋尾。一个一个斗过去，破者认输，最后分出高低。蛋头胜者为第一，蛋称大王；蛋尾胜者为第二，蛋称小王或二王。

称人Checking Body Weight

On the day of the Start of Summer, there is a custom to check one’s body weight after lunch. People hang a wood weigh beam at the entrance of the village or in the Taimen, and a bench is suspended on the balance hook. People take turns to sit on the bench to check their weights. The weight examinant adjusts the balance of weigh beam while speaking auspicious words. It is said if people check weights on this day, they will get rid of summer heat and have a strong body during the whole summer.

立夏吃罢中饭还有秤人的习俗。人们在村口或台门里挂起一杆大木秤，秤钩悬一根凳子，大家轮流坐到凳子上面秤人。司秤人一面打秤花，一面讲着吉利话。据说这一天称了体重之后，就不怕夏季炎热，不会消瘦。

节气养生 Regimen on this day

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that people shall keep pace with changes in the weather and bring attention to the hearts’ health at the transition of spring and summer. With the beginning of summer, the weather turns hot, and traditional Chinese medicine also believes that “summer-heat tends to injure the vitality” and “summer-heat is likely to impatient the heart.” Thus, during this season, people should nurse their bodies and build up the hearts’ health. Especially the elderly need to consciously take good care of their emotion, keep calm and happy, and avoid extreme excitement or sorrow which might hurt the health.

传统中医认为，人们在春夏之交要顺应天气的变化，重点关注心脏。立夏以后，天气转热，传统中医认为，“暑易伤气”，“暑易入心”。因此，值此时节，人们要重视身体的调养，加强对心脏的保养，尤其是老年人要有意识地进行精神调养，保持神清气和、心情愉快的状态，切忌大悲大喜，以免伤心、伤身、伤神。

During early summer, the elderly are easy to get obstruction of blood circulation. It is recommended to eat onions and drink a small amount of alcohol in the morning to promote blood and heart vessel circulation so as to prevent the occurrence of heart disease. After the Start of Summer, when the weather gradually turns hot, it is better to eat a light diet with digestible and vitamin-rich foods rather than a high-fat and spicy diet.

初夏之时，老年人气血易滞，血脉易阻，每天清晨可吃少许葱头，喝少量的酒，促使气血流通，心脉无阻，便可预防心病发生。立夏之后，天气逐渐转热，饮食宜清淡，应以易消化、富含维生素的食物为主，大鱼大肉和油腻辛辣的食物要少吃。