The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Start of Autumn, the 13th solar term of the year, begins this year on Aug 8 and ends on Aug 22.
中国传统二十四节气的第13个节气是立秋。今年的立秋从8月8日开始，8月22日结束。
Start of Autumn reflects the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. The fruitful season is approaching.
立秋标志着夏天即将结束，秋天即将到来。秋天是果实丰硕的季节。
The following are 9 things you should know about Start of Autumn.
来看看关于立秋的9个小常识。
A baby tiger. [Photo/sipaphoto.com]
Autumn Tiger 秋老虎
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” or “Indian Summer.” Because of decreasing precipitation, it is even more sweltering during this period than during Major Heat.
尽管立秋标志着秋天的开始，但是炎热的天气还不会结束。立秋后炎热天气还会持续30天，被称为“秋老虎”。由于降水减少，秋老虎的天气甚至比大暑期间更加闷热。
Need to flesh out in autumn. [File photo]
Fleshing out in autumn 贴秋膘
On the first day of the Start of Autumn, usually people will weigh themselves and compare their weight to what it was at the Start 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.
立秋的第一天，人们通常会量一下体重，和立夏那天的体重做个对比。如果体重减轻了，那么在立秋这天就要吃各种美食佳肴尤其是肉来“贴膘”。
Gather crops. [Photo/sipaphoto.com]
Gathering crops 收庄稼
Start of Autumn is a big solar term for farmers. It is time to gather crops. There is a saying: “If it rains on the day of the Start of Autumn, a good harvest is expected.”
立秋对于农民而言是收庄稼的重要节气。俗话说：“立秋有雨样样收。”
A ripe peach. [Photo/sipaphoto.com]
Eating peaches 吃桃子
In Hangzhou, people eat peaches on the Start of Autumn day. The peach stones are kept until New Years Eve and thrown into the stove, burned into ash. People believed that in this way, plagues could be prevented for the whole year.
杭州人立秋这天要吃桃。人们会把桃核保存到除夕夜，扔进炉子烧成灰。人们相信这样就能保佑接下来一年远离瘟疫。
Longans. [File photo]
Eating longans 吃龙眼
The Start of Autumn period is harvest time for Taiwan longan. People believe that eating longan will help their descendants become senior officials.
立秋是台湾省龙眼收获的季节。人们相信吃了龙眼肉，后代就会成为大官。
Colorful dumplings. [Photo/sipaphoto.com]
Eating dumplings 吃饺子
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 Start of Autumn day.
在山东，立秋的风俗是包饺子，老百姓都称之为“咬秋”。立秋当天，年纪稍大的人会在堂屋正中供一只盛满五谷杂粮的碗，祈求立秋过后五谷丰登。而大多数人家会在立秋时刻过后，全家人围在一起吃饺子。
A red bean from popular Chinese animation series Beanies Daily. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Eating red beans 吃红豆
Starting from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the Song Dynasty (960-1279), people in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, have eaten red beans on Start of Autumn day. They take seven to 14 little beans, swallowing them with well water. When taking the beans, one must face west, it is said, so as not to get dysentery during the autumn.
从唐宋两朝开始，浙江义乌的人们就有了在立秋吃红豆的习俗。他们会拿出7到14颗小红豆，用井水服用。据说在吃红豆时，人们必须面朝西边，以免在秋天的时候患上痢疾。
[File photo]
Eating gourds 吃瓜
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), people would put gourds outside for a day before the Start of Autumn, and eat them on Start of Autumn day to drive off the summer heat. Today people in Tianjin still keep this custom, believing that eating melons such as towel gourd, white gourd and bitter gourd can prevent diarrhea in autumn and the coming winter and spring.
清朝时，人们会在立秋前一天在屋子外面挂一根瓜，然后在立秋当天吃掉，从而祛除夏季的暑气。现在天津人仍然保留着这一习俗，认为吃丝瓜、冬瓜、苦瓜等瓜类食物可以预防秋冬春季腹泻。
A woman happily picks pears at a garden. [Photo/sipaphoto.com]
Touching Autumn “摸秋”
There is the custom of “Touching Autumn” in the northern part of Yancheng, Jiangsu province. On the eve of Start of Autumn, people can touch and take for free all kinds of fruits as they like in private or public gardens, and the owners will not be angry, no matter how much they lose. Many gardeners even leave some mellow fruits in the field on purpose for the guests during the night.
江苏盐城北部地区有一个“摸秋”的习俗。在立秋前一天晚上，人们可以在私人或集体的瓜园中摸回各种瓜果，而无论损失多少主人都不会生气。有些瓜园主人甚至还会故意在地里为夜里来摸秋的客人留下一些成熟的瓜果。
（来源：中国日报网 编译：丹妮）
来源：中国日报网
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