“春雨惊春清谷天，夏满芒夏暑相连；秋处露秋寒霜降，冬雪雪冬小大寒。”

　　二十四节气不仅反映天体运行规律、体现季节变化、指导农事，更重要的是，几千年来，它深深影响着中国人生活的方方面面，早已成为中华传统文化的一部分。

　　2019年，中国文化译研网将与您一起关注节气变化，感受节气交替中深沉的文化内涵，敬请关注。

　　立夏是农历二十四节气中的第7个节气，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。

　　Lixia is the seventh of the lunar twenty-four solar terms， and the first one in the summer season.  When the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 45°， it marks the beginning of lixia， signifying the the beginning of the first period of summer. Lixia 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 lixia， since the character Xia initially means big or great.

　　1

　　节气特征 Features of Lixia

　　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（即蝼蛄）在田间的鸣叫声（一说是蛙声），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。

　　In ancient China， people divided lixia 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 lixia begins， the first thing that occurs is the chirping of the crickets （or some people say frogs） in the fields， then the activity of the earthworms is seen and last the vine of the cucumber begins its rapid growth.

　　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。

　　Astronomers indicate that during the solar period of lixia， 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 lixia.”

　　2

　　传统习俗Traditions

　　迎夏仪式

　　The Ceremony of Welcoming the Summer

　　据了解，我国自古以来就很重视立夏节气。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。

　　As far as is known， the solar term of lixia has always been seen as very important in China since antiquity. According to historical records， during the Zhou Dynasty （1099-1050 BC）， on the day of lixia， 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 （c. 25th century BC） and Zhu Rong （the fire god）. In ancient times， the color of the ceremonial dress and the jade pendant worn by this ceremony and even the carriages and horses which they rode and the flags on their carriages were all red. It signified the fiery summer that was about to arrive.

　　斗蛋

　　Egg Competition

　　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。

　　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”.

　　称人

　　Checking Body Weight

　　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。

　　On the day of lixia， 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 inadaptability and have a strong body during the whole sum   mer.

　　3

　　节气养生 Regimen in Lixia

　　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，人们要重视精神的调养，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。

　　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 orsorrow which might hurt the health.

　　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。

　　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 Lixia， 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. 

　　4

　　立夏诗词 Poems About Lixia

　　（欢迎试译）

　　《立夏》陆游

　　赤帜插城扉，东君整驾归。

　　泥新巢燕闹，花尽蜜蜂稀。

　　槐柳阴初密，帘栊暑尚微。

　　日斜汤沐罢，熟练试单衣。

　　《寓言二首》贾至

　　春草纷碧色，佳人旷无期。

　　悠哉千里心，欲采商山芝。

　　叹息良会晚，如何桃李时。

　　怀君晴川上，伫立夏云滋。

　　凛凛秋闺夕，绮罗早知寒。

　　玉砧调鸣杵，始捣机中纨。

　　忆昨别离日，桐花覆井栏。

　　今来思君时，白露盈阶漙。

　　闻有关河信，欲寄双玉盘。

　　玉以委贞心，盘以荐嘉餐。

　　嗟君在万里，使妾衣带宽。