Start of Autumn, the 13th of the 24 solar terms, is also the first solar term of autumn and falls on August 8 this year. After Start of Autumn, the difference in temperature between day and night begins to increase, and crops mature very quickly, so the Start of Autumn means that the grain is about to ripen, and the harvest season is coming.

Although Start of Autumn indicates the beginning of autumn, hot weather will not come to an end. The period of hot days after Start of Autumn, usually lasting for 30 days, is called “Autumn Tiger”. Because of decreasing precipitation, it is even more sweltering during this period than during Major Heat.

There are several customs during this day. For example, fleshing out in autumn, eating peaches, eating the autumn and so on. On the first day of the Start of Autumn, usually people will weigh themselves and compare their weight to what it was at the Beginning of Summer. If one has lost weight during the summer, then at the beginning of autumn, he or she needs to flesh out by eating many different kinds of delicious food, especially meat. And this is “fleshing out in autumn”.

In Shandong province, people make dumplings during the Start of Autumn, and they call it “Eating the Autumn”. On the day of Start of Autumn, senior members of the family will stand in the middle of the hall, worshiping a bowl of cereal, and praying for the harvest in autumn. Most of the families will eat dumplings together after this day.

(By Yang Jiming/Qi Qian)