Chinese Festival Waking of Insects
Chinese Festival Waking of Insects
The traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms. March 5 is the "waking of insects", one of 24 solar terms and the weather situation will be clear step by step.Jngzh (pnyn) is the 3rd solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 345 and ends when it reaches the longitude of 360. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 345. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around March 5 and ends around March 20.
The word Jingzhe has the meaning of awakening of hibernated insects. Jing is startling, and zhe is hibernated (insects). The traditional Chinese farming culture said that during Jingzhe, thunderstorms will wake up the hibernated insects, which also means the weather is getting warm.When farmers heard the Jingzhe (the waking of the insects) in spring, they knew that the time was right to begin plowing the fields. To pay tribute, farmers wrote proverbs and songs about the insects, artists rendered paintings of them, and children were told cricket fables.
It's also referred to as Longtaitou Festival or Dragon-Head-Raising Festival. In the tradition of Chinese culture, the dragon is believed to be the king of all insects and at same time, it is also believed to be in charge of bringing rains, and both of these are important factors in ancient agricultural society.
Today, Longtaitou Festival is celebrated in various ways, most of which are still identical to those practiced in the ancient times, including eating Chinese pancakes and noodles. Perfume bags filled with the powder of ground fragrant herbs are made to be carried by women and children for good fortune, though they are no longer used as insect repellent as in ancient times.
Jingzhe Jieqi marks another stage in the cycle of nature and another stage in the development of our Qi energy. What can we expect to happen during this time?
We are two weeks short of the Vernal Equinoxofficially the first day of springbut unofficially, nature has already started to awaken and "spring" forward.
In the last Jieqi the frosty ground began to thaw and plant life below the surface started to stir. During this Jieqi nature continues to "awaken" as creatures that hibernate open their eyes after a long winter slumber. In China, during this Jieqi, early spring showers electrify the sky and roaring thunder shakes the earth. In folk tales we imagine that those tremors wake up the bears and the ants.
How will Jingzhe Jieqi affect us energetically?
The scales of "outer nature" are about to tip from winter to spring and so are the scales of our "inner nature." Right now, Qi energy is coiling like a spring readying to burst. Soon you will want to leap like a tigerbut not yet. This Jieqi is a good time to concentrate Qi passively, like a tiger silently eying his prey.
Click here to view the English Chinese translation of this article. Top Deserving Places to Visit on Rajasthan Tour Port Stephens - Preserved naturally in Australia Feeling Sprung? Relax in your Hot Tub this Spring! Find the HCG Palm Beach Locations to Shed Extra Pounds Honeymoon Travel Packages in Bangalore The Features of Cheltenham Betting 2011 Festival Kerala tour packages: unlimited packages for unlimited destinations Easter Lake District Holidays The development of Gurgaon as the Hot Destination Cheap Flights to African Countries – Check Out the Peak Travel Seasons to Avoid Rush Enjoy with India Tour packages Cuban Travel Cheap Flights to Summer Holidays Destination