The Spring Equinox

“The Spring Equinox” arrives around March 21 every year and on this day, the sun is vertically above a point on the equator.

“The Spring Equinox” indicates two meanings.Firstly, on this day, the night and day are approximately equally long with 12 hours each. Secondly, it’s the mid-point for the spring season.

After this day, the sun continues to move to the north hemisphere and the temperature continues to rise. Daily average temperature in most areas in China reaches 0 degree Celsius above.

Traditions:

1. Egg-standing games

It is a tradition in many places of China to erect eggs on vernal equinox, a term of Chinese lunar calendar. It is said that due to the sun's equidistant position between the poles of the earth on the first day of the spring, special gravitational forces apply.

2. Eating spring vegetables

Spring vegetables' refers to seasonal vegetables that differ from place to place. The ancient teachings in the Chinese classic suggests that people eat seasonal foods to help preserve health and bring good luck.

3. Sacrifice to the Sun god

During the Spring Equinox, an old traditional practiced by Beijing locals is offering sacrifices to the Sun god.

The "Sun Cake", a round cake made from wheat and sugar, serves as the main offering.