What is the importance of the sixteenth sunny day of the lunar month? The agricultural proverbs left by the ancients guide the mind
It rained and snowed on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, and the agricultural proverb said that the New Year was cold.
December 16 is a very special festival, according to the farmer's saying, if it rains and snows on this day, it will rain and snow for two weeks in a row. These meteorological conditions not only have an impact on the heavy snowfall situation around the Lunar New Year in China, but also indicate that the temperature will drop further. As the saying goes, "it snows on the sixteenth day of the lunar month, and cotton should be added on Chinese New Year's Eve", which means that after this sudden snowfall, the weather will become cold in the New Year, and people should also add some clothes to keep warm. If it is on the 16th day of the lunar month, this is not only conducive to the growth of crops, but also a good omen. The ancients also had sayings such as "three snows in winter, more wheat next year", "snow on the sixteenth day of the lunar month, and piles of wheat next year", which explains that "it snows on December 16, and there will be a good harvest next year".
In addition, the precipitation around December 16 also had a certain effect on local agricultural production. As the saying goes: "Half a foot of snow in early December, wheat is not conscious", which means that the deeper the snow, the more beneficial it is to crops, so the amount of snowfall in December will not only be directly related to the temperature of the next year, but also profoundly affect the growth and development of crops.
1. The weather is sunny on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, indicating that the weather is warm during the New Year, which is not conducive to agriculture.
On the sixteenth, the sky cleared and the sun shone hotly on the earth, indicating that the coming year would be sunny and warm, but the situation was not good for agriculture. The so-called "16th day of the first month, drought to Qingming", which means that before Qingming, the sky is clear. In the Qingming season, it is an important period for wheat to turn green, spring plowing and spring planting, and water shortage and serious drought will inevitably have a certain impact on grain production.
In ancient times, it was believed that "the sixteenth day of the first lunar month is a good day, and in the spring, the oxen will do their work." "This is the importance that ancient people attached to spring agriculture. Spring planting is the most important step of the year, and if there is a drought and sunny conditions, it will inevitably affect this year's harvest. Therefore, on the 16th day of the twelfth lunar month, the weather is fine, which may have some impact on the crops.
2. On the sixteenth day of the lunar month, it may cause greater economic losses.
The "Sixteen Stars of the Moon" means that there are stars in the sky, and there are no clouds in the sky, but "ten cowsheds, nine yards are empty", indicating the loss of the farm. This situation suggests that next year's livestock sector will be hit hard, with 90 per cent of the barns empty, showing signs of disease and poor harvests. On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the climate is warm, which is conducive to the reproduction of bacteria and increases the incidence of infectious diseases in the new year. In the era of low medical standards, it often leads to the aggravation of livestock diseases, resulting in huge losses in animal husbandry. In addition, the folk legend "16 sunny days in the lunar month, six droughts in the next year" indicates that the dry weather in the coming year will have a negative impact on farmland and pastures, resulting in a shortage of food for livestock.
In the ancient agricultural era, through the observation of the natural world and the accumulation of life, human beings summed up a lot of common sayings about climate, agriculture and other aspects, although not rigorous, but they contain human understanding of nature, as well as the vision of the future. No matter what the weather is, in order to protect our rights and interests, everyone should be mentally prepared to cope with the challenges of survival and production in the new year.