Traditional Customs During The Cold Dew Season

Hanlu is the seventeenth solar term among the twenty-four solar terms and the fifth solar term of autumn. The "Collection and Explanation of the Seventy Two Houhou of the Moon" states: "Cold dew, September festival. Dew air is cold and will condense." Compared with white dew, the temperature of cold dew has significantly decreased. Dew is no longer warm and white, but becomes cold and piercing, and will soon condense into frost. The autumn scenery has also shifted from the refreshing and bright mid autumn to the serene and serene late autumn, with a cool and dry air permeating between heaven and earth. The ancients adapted to the changes of time and combined agricultural labor with health needs, gradually giving birth to a rich and diverse folk custom of cold dew. Most of these customs revolve around autumn harvest, moistening dryness, appreciating autumn, and avoiding cold, carrying the ancient people's beautiful wishes of respecting nature and praying for health.

The Three Seasons of Cold Dew record that "chrysanthemums have yellow flowers". At this time, the autumn wind is bleak, and flowers wither. Only chrysanthemums bloom freely in the face of the cold dew, becoming the most touching scenery in late autumn. Appreciating chrysanthemums and drinking chrysanthemum wine have also become the most representative customs of Cold Dew. The cultural origin of this custom can be traced back to the story of Tao Yuanming picking chrysanthemums in the eastern fence of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Later literati admired his indifferent and carefree style, and would make an appointment to appreciate chrysanthemums every time the cold dew arrived.

 

In ancient times, around the time of the Cold Dew, various regions would hold chrysanthemum exhibitions, where people and literati would travel together to admire the various forms of autumn chrysanthemums. Folk people also brew chrysanthemum wine, pick fresh chrysanthemums, and ferment them together with glutinous rice and goji berries. The ancients believed that chrysanthemums absorb the golden energy of autumn. Drinking chrysanthemum wine with cold dew can dispel wind and clear heat, and alleviate physical discomfort caused by dryness. Chrysanthemum wine has a clear color and a subtle aroma, making it a unique autumn wine. People appreciate chrysanthemums with wine, recite autumn scenery, and feel the charm of late autumn in the fragrance of flowers and wine. This elegant custom has been passed down for thousands of years and is still loved by people today.

There is a well-known folk saying: "Cold dew eats sesame seeds." The dryness during the cold dew season is cool dryness, which is different from the warm dryness of white dew. It can easily cause dryness in the mouth, tongue, throat, and skin. In traditional Chinese medicine, sesame has a flat and sweet nature, which can nourish yin and moisten dryness, making it an ideal ingredient for dealing with cold dew and dryness.

 

In ancient times, in the Central Plains and Jiangnan areas, every household would make sesame delicacies on the day of Cold Dew. People grind black sesame seeds into delicate sesame paste, steam sweet and soft sesame cakes, or fry crispy sesame candy. Legend has it that a long time ago, in the Central Plains region, every time there was cold dew, dry air ravaged and many people suffered from dry cough and cracked skin. A local old man told everyone that eating sesame seeds in Hanlu can moisten dryness and promote diuresis, relieve discomfort. The people followed suit one after another, and over time, the custom of eating sesame seeds with cold dew was passed down from generation to generation. To this day, consuming sesame products in Hanlu is still a health choice for many families.

The time of the Cold Dew solar term is often close to the Double Ninth Festival, and the timing of the two solar terms is similar. Folk customs blend together, and climbing has become a popular activity during the period from Cold Dew to Double Ninth.

 

After the cold dew, the autumn air is crisp, the sky is clear, and the layers of forests in the mountains are dyed. The red leaves cover the mountains, making it a good season to climb high and enjoy the scenery.

 

The ancient people climbed high in autumn, which had a dual significance. On the one hand, in autumn, the temperature turns cooler, and climbing mountains can stretch one's muscles and dispel the accumulated autumn cold in the body; On the other hand, following the health principle of "convergence" in autumn, climbing high and looking far into the distance, broadening horizons, soothing emotions, and calming down the low mood that is prone to occur in autumn. After the story of Huan Jing climbing high to avoid disasters spread widely, the custom of climbing high with cold dew became even more prevalent. People climb mountains together, enjoying the magnificent scenery of the mountains and rivers in late autumn, while praying for the safety and prosperity of their families, and staying away from disasters and illnesses.

 

There is a saying in the water towns of Jiangnan that goes, 'Fishing for crucian carp in cold dew is as fat as ginseng,' which has given rise to the characteristic custom of 'fishing at the edge in autumn'. With the arrival of cold dew, the water temperature gradually decreases, and the fish in the water need a large amount of foraging and energy storage to survive the winter. Their feeding becomes particularly active, among which crucian carp has the most plump meat.

Shallow water areas dissipate heat faster, and fish will swim to the shallow water areas near the shore to forage, hence it is commonly known as "autumn fishing edge". During the agricultural off-season, the people of the water town will go fishing by the river and harvest fresh fish. Most of the crucian carp caught are used for stewing soup and nourishing food. The fish meat is warm and nourishing, which can resist autumn coolness and nourish the body.

After harvesting, many families will also share the fresh fish with their neighbors, sharing the gifts of autumn. This custom has become a unique joy of autumn in water towns.

 

Cold dew is the final stage of autumn harvest. The northern region is rushing to harvest corn and soybeans, and planting winter wheat; Harvesting cotton and late rice in the Jiangnan region; Manage and protect late rice in southern China to prevent low-temperature freezing damage. In addition to labor, the folk retains the custom of "trying new things".

When the new grain harvest is completed, farmers will use the freshly harvested grains to steam and cook food, hold a simple sacrificial ceremony, worship the earth gods, and thank the earth for its annual gifts. This is called Autumn Society. After the ritual is completed, the whole family will taste the new grain together, celebrate the harvest, and look forward to good weather and abundant harvests in the coming year. In the autumn social activities, neighbors share their newly harvested food with each other, and in simple rituals, they hide the deep gratitude of the farming people for the land.

White dew does not expose the body, cold dew does not expose the feet "is a health proverb that has been passed down for thousands of years. During the White Dew season, remind people to keep their tops warm; When the cold dew sets, the cold air sinks, and the feet are the parts of the body where the cold air is most likely to invade. After paying attention to the cold dew, ancient people no longer went barefoot. They wore socks in the morning and evening, and insisted on soaking their feet in hot water to prevent cold pathogens from invading the body from the soles of their feet and causing discomfort. This is the wisdom of life summarized by ancient people through long-term observation of the climate, and it is also the most important daily health custom of cold dew.

In many southern regions, there is a custom for Hanlu to eat persimmons. At this time, persimmons are fully ripe and the flesh is sweet and juicy. The ancients believed that eating persimmons by Hanlu could moisten the lungs, produce fluids, and resist dryness. There is also a folk saying that "eating persimmons by Hanlu can prevent runny nose". At the same time, Hanlu served as a guest for geese, and ancient people would observe flocks of geese flying south to determine the timing and plan agricultural activities. They also left behind a large number of poems praising geese, expressing their love for autumn.

In summary, the various traditional customs of Hanlu demonstrate the survival wisdom of ancient people in accordance with the times. Compared to the warm and clear nature of white dew, the core of the cold dew custom is to prevent coldness and moisten dryness. Appreciating chrysanthemums, drinking alcohol, climbing mountains and looking far, eating sesame seeds and tasting new foods are not only the pleasures of autumn life, but also the ways for ancient people to cope with the coldness of late autumn and nourish their body and mind. Across thousands of years, these folk customs remain vivid, allowing us to experience the profound and timeless traditional cultural charm of the 24 solar terms in the increasingly cold autumn.