The Beginning of Summer

Usually people consider this period as the time where temperature begins to rise obviously, thunderstorm becomes more frequent and crops’ growth enter the peak season. Many crops seeded in spring can be harvested in the summer.

In ancient China, people believed a round egg symbolized a happy life and eating eggs on the day of The Beginning of Summer was a prayer for good health. They put leftover tea into boiled water together with eggs and the original "tea egg" was created. Later people improved cooking methods and added spices to the eggs to make them taste delicious. Today tea egg has become a traditional snack in China.

在中国古代，人们相信一个圆圆的鸡蛋预示着一个幸福圆满的人生。在立夏这天吃鸡蛋，是对身体健康的一种祈祷。他们将吃剩下的茶叶放进烧开的滚水中跟鸡蛋一起煮。这样，最原始的“茶叶蛋” 就诞生了。之后，人们改良了煮茶叶蛋的方法，加入了调味料和香料，让鸡蛋可以吃起来更美味。当今，茶叶蛋已经是一款中国经典的小吃了。

In folk, people relieve the summer heat with cold drinks. People along the Yangtze River have the customs of boiling and eating broad bean （蚕豆）.

在民间，人们通过喝凉水来消暑。长江沿岸的人们在立夏还有煮蚕豆吃的习俗。

Many people throughout southern China during lixia will make what they traditionally call,“colorful rice.” It is made from many different kinds of beans, like red beans,soy beans, black beans, green beans and mung beans mixed together with white japonica rice（粳米）. After eating the “lixia rice,” the people also had the custom of weighing themselves, for they say that those who weigh themselves on that day don’t have to be afraid of pining away（消瘦；憔悴）during the sweltering heat of the summer.

立夏这天，我国民间还有很多趣味习俗。立夏当天，我国南方很多地方的人们会用赤豆、黄豆、黑豆、青豆、绿豆等五色豆拌合白粳米煮成“五色饭”，俗称吃“立夏饭”。吃过“立夏饭”，还有“称人”的习俗。据说这一天称了体重之后，就不怕夏季炎热，不会消瘦。

japonica rice /dʒəˈpɑːnɪkə raɪs/ 粳米

sweltering /ˈsweltərɪŋ/ 炎热的