In an instant, we have reached the end of January 31, which means that early in the morning of February 1, we will enter the final stage of the great cold. To put it simply, once the end of the Great Cold sounds, the last chapter of the Great Cold Winter will come to an end. So which solar term will be followed by the Great Cold?
Bidding farewell to the cold is the moment of ushering in the beginning of spring, marking the beginning of winter and spring, and the prelude to the transition of the season officially opened. During this period, the weather is changeable, indicating that spring is quietly approaching. But does the beginning of spring bring warm weather? That's not so certain.
The beginning of spring, as a good start in the 24 solar terms, officially announces the arrival of spring, which is ushered in around February 4 of the Gregorian calendar. At this time, the sun has moved to the position of 315° of the ecliptic longitude, and the northern hemisphere is beginning to feel the gentleness of the heating.
In the beginning of spring, in fact, we are still in the chapter of counting nine cold days. Normally, the arrival of the beginning of spring marks the beginning of the period of the end of May or the beginning of the June and Ninth Days, and there are some interesting patterns and omens contained in it. However, there are different understandings and interpretations of the specific meanings of the end of the 59th and the beginning of the 69th.
In the blink of an eye, it is the end of January, and this year's May 9 cold weather will last from January 27th to February 4th, and then the 69th cold day will last from February 5th to February 13th. It is worth noting that the beginning of spring in 2024 is expected to usher in around 4:27 pm on February 4, in this case, the beginning of spring happens to fall on the last day of May 9, that is, this year's beginning of spring coincides with the "end of May 9".
The proverb circulated by the older generation: "Spring is every five or nine tails, and graves are everywhere", which is quite a bit of a joke when you hear it, but it actually contains the wisdom of observing the impact of weather changes.
The phrase "Spring meets the end of the five-nine" simply translates to mean that the day of the beginning of spring happens to be the last day of the five-nine. It means that the beginning of spring does not mean that you can immediately feel the warmth of spring. On the contrary, if the beginning of spring coincides with the tail of May and September, it may usher in unusually cold weather, and there are signs of "inverted spring cold". The old saying "graves everywhere" vividly expresses the possible adverse effects of this phenomenon, although it sounds slightly humorous, but it actually reminds people to pay attention to the impact of this sudden cold weather on crops and lives, and avoid losses caused by weather changes. Indeed, this old-fashioned statement reflects a deep understanding and observation of changes in the natural world.
In fact, the phenomenon of inverted spring cold is a big challenge for agriculture. In particular, early spring crops such as wheat and rapeseed, as well as those crops that have just started spring ploughing and spring sowing, encounter that sudden ultra-cold cold wave, and the weather will become extremely cold, which will have a great impact on them, which is directly related to the summer harvest. In addition, for those elderly people who are not strong in resistance, the cold spring is also a severe test.
As for "graves everywhere", this may sound a bit gloomy, but it actually describes that due to bad weather, people's health may be damaged and the number of deaths will increase, so that there are more new graves than usual, as if there are graves everywhere. Although this proverb is straightforward, it does reflect the great impact of weather changes on life in ancient times, and even the good or bad years can be glimpsed from these details.
This year's beginning of spring coincides with the end of May and September, and although it may seem to portend some challenges, the most important thing for us is to be prepared, whether it is to take appropriate agricultural protective measures or to strengthen our personal physical resistance, and maintain a positive attitude to welcome this spring. After all, the mysteries of nature are unfathomable, and human ingenuity and perseverance always find solutions. Therefore, let us have an optimistic attitude and hope that after the beginning of spring, it can be a good year full of hope and vitality.