The fifth lunar month is a season when all things grow lush and various seasonal fruits and vegetables are available. Both the Start of Summer and the Summer Solstice are summer solar terms. As we are about to enter May, do you know the difference between the Start of Summer and the Summer Solstice? What do the Start of Summer and the Summer Solstice represent respectively? What should you pay attention to in the fifth lunar month of 2022? The special section on the fifth lunar month of 2022 by Huayi Network has compiled related articles, welcome to check them out.

Summer Solstice

It represents the middle of summer. It starts from June 21st (or 22nd) every year and ends on July 7th (or 8th), which is the day with the longest daylight and shortest night. On the day of the Summer Solstice, the sun's position directly above the ground reaches the northernmost point of the year, almost directly over the Tropic of Cancer. At this time, the daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere reach their longest of the year. After the Summer Solstice, the position of the sun's direct hit gradually moves southward, and the daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere gradually decrease. There is a folk saying, "After eating the noodles on the Summer Solstice, each day gets shorter by an inch." At this time, the Southern Hemisphere is in the middle of winter.

Start of Summer

The Start of Summer is the first solar term of summer. It occurs around the first day of the fourth lunar month (between May 5th and 6th on the Gregorian calendar), indicating the official start of the hot summer season. When the sun reaches 45 degrees of the ecliptic, it is the Start of Summer. At that time, the sun's ecliptic longitude is 45 degrees. In astronomy, the Start of Summer indicates the approaching end of spring and the beginning of summer. The constellation pointing to the southeast marks the Start of Summer, as all things have grown at this time, hence it is called the Start of Summer.
The day of welcoming summer is the Start of Summer. At this time, all things flourish. After the Start of Summer comes the scorching summer. To prevent the body from being weakened or losing weight during the hot summer, people often take tonics on the Start of Summer to strengthen their bodies.

What are the customs?

Start of Summer has common customs such as worshiping and welcoming summer, eating eggs and playing egg battles, weighing body weight, and eating five-color rice. These mainly symbolize the hope for favorable weather and bountiful harvests, and the prayer for good health and a strong physique. By contrast, Summer Solstice has customs such as the "summer sacrifice", celebrating the harvest and worshiping ancestors, praying for disaster-free years and abundant harvests. There is also the custom of eating cakes. The method is to bake thin pancakes and wrap them with green vegetables, bean pods, tofu, and cured meat, which are then consumed after the ancestral offering, known as "Summer Solstice Cakes," and shared with family and friends.