Start of Spring is the first solar term in the twenty-four solar cycle, usually occurring between February 3rd and 5th annually. At this time, the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 315°, severe cold gradually recedes, and gentle winds with warmer days begin to emerge in nature, showing preliminary signs of revival, hence the name "Start of Spring." It marks the formal beginning of spring and represents the start of a new cycle of life and farming. In terms of phenology, Start of Spring presents subtle changes described as "the east wind thaws the ice, and hibernating insects begin to stir." In traditional agrarian civilization, it signified the commencement of planning and preparing for the year's agricultural activities, carrying people's deep hopes for a bountiful harvest.
Historically, as a pivotal solar term at the beginning of the annual cycle, Start of Spring developed a series of solemn and symbolic rituals from official ceremonies to folk customs. Authorities would hold grand "Spring Welcoming Ceremonies" and "Whipping the Spring Ox" activities to encourage farming and pray for abundance. Among the people, the custom of "Biting Spring" was widespread, involving eating fresh seasonal foods like spring pancakes, spring rolls, and radishes to welcome the vitality of the new season and express wishes for health and prosperity. Additionally, practices such as wearing "spring adornments," posting "spring characters," and offering sacrifices to the Spring God, Gou Mang, all reflected the ancient people's proactive stance in harmonizing with the heavens and actively welcoming the surge of life, forming vivid cultural practices of interaction between humanity and nature.
Today, Start of Spring remains a significant temporal marker in modern society for perceiving natural transition and inheriting cultural traditions. As the starting point of the twenty-four solar terms, Start of Spring deeply embodies the Chinese cultural spirit of corresponding with nature, actively engaging with the world, and the philosophical belief in ceaseless renewal and the eternal return of life's vitality.
Editor: Yuan Ruichen
