# Chinese Life in the Tibetan Foothills/Book 6/Seasons

BOOK VI. TIMES AND SEASONS (四季), ssŭ ch‘i
The Seasons of the Year (二十四節)
Ying ch‘un (迎春). Meeting the spring is the farmer's annual holiday. Great crowds go to the city to see the spring ox and the official procession. On the morning of the day, the various small officials of a district city make their way to the magistrate's office, where they get their pay for that day. Later in the forenoon, the magistrate, dressed as a court official, with 16 men bearing his chair and 16 pulling it, comes out in state. Even the yamen underlings ride horses and wear degreed men's hats on this occasion. They proceed to the east gate and meet spring in the form of an earthen ox and an image spoken of as the mang shên (芒神) or ox driver. The spring ox is taken to a field on the east of the city, attached to a plough and taken a few times up and down the field, with the magistrate after it; the magistrate then approaches the real plough and buffalo, which has been prepared and decorated for the purpose; this is called kung ching (躬耕), personal ploughing. After worshipping the spring ox and driver, he returns to his office by the south or west gate. That day he gives a feast to all his underlings who have congratulated him on being the priest of spring. This is the only day in many officials' lives when they really can be great. Sometimes he rides in an open chair with ​garlands of flowers and branches over and around him. The day costs him some hundreds of strings of cash and is one of the gala days of the year.
The ox is made by special instructions from the official, and great interest is taken in all the details of colour both of the ox and the driver. If the ox is yellow, the people say that the year will be a fruitful one, and a bumper harvest is expected. If it is red, fire and calamity will be rife; if white, mourning will be very plentiful; if green, plague will ravage the country; if black, sickness and disease will be plentiful. The spring will be early or late according as the tail is uplifted or downhanging. If the ox is lying down it is also an indication of a late spring. If the garments of the driver are stripped off and trousers tucked up then an early spring is expected, but if its shoes are on and down at the heels the spring will be late. If the clothing is properly on with girdle and garters complete, then the spring will be an ordinary one.
The ancient custom of making a mud ball in the shape of a drum during the winter and breaking it at the opening of spring chi t‘u ku (擊土鼓) is probably the origin of the spring ox.
Li ch‘un or ta ch‘un is to begin spring. This is the day following the meeting of spring, and the crowd is much smaller. On this day the farmers will not sweep their floors for fear of sweeping away Mother Earth who has to bring forth her fruits, neither will they disturb her by sowing or digging. The spring ox and driver having been taken the day previous to the yamen court, the official, dressed again in the robes of the priest of spring, makes an offering to them, after which he strikes the first blow at the ox which is speedily demolished by the crowd and carried off to the homes and the fields of the people. The calf inside it is taken and carried to some family which has no sons. The driver is burned and the whole cleared out of sight and the ceremony is now over. Among the rustics all this is very important, and some even believe that if there was no spring ox there could hardly be any harvest.
​Yü shui (雨水), spring rain. At this season flowers are transplanted and trees grafted. Aged people, who need to chieh hsien (接限) do so with the greatest benefit, they believe, at this season. (See Sorcery.)
Ching chih (驚蟄), the time of moving insects. At this season snakes come forth from hibernation and bees emerge from their hives. The silk-worms' eggs are now taken on to the bodies or into the beds of people, to be hatched.
Ch‘un fên, spring equinox, a general holiday for farmers, called the master's gathering, 當家會. No one goes into his field or garden on that day lest he should be troubled with birds and insects through the year. On this date the king of birds is worshipped.
Ch‘ing ming, clear brightness. At this season, great crowds of people visit the graveyards, shang fên (上墳), and put flags on the graves. These flags are said to show the grave is still attended, but in some places their purpose is said to be to call the spirit. Incense and paper are burned, and food prepared at home is carried here and eaten picnic style. Many go to weep at the graves, but many more go for a day's pleasure, to drink wine and play at "Morra," and many become deeply intoxicated. It is believed that the departed ancestors present themselves and partake of the offered food. At the New Year and the 7th moon feast the spirits of the ancestors return to the home, but at this season, the living visit the habitations of the dead. In Kwan Hsien this feast is spoken of as lao wa (老鴉) hui, or crows' festival.
At this time the city god goes to relieve the orphan spirits shang ku (賞孤), by burning the cash paper. On his return journey, the district magistrate goes to meet the idol procession.
Han shih (寒食) chieh, the cold food feast. This is an ancient feast held the day preceding ch‘ing ming. Formerly no one lighted fires in the house on this day, in remembrance of a certain Chieh Chih t‘ui (介之推) who was a henchman of one of the princes of the Lieh Kuo period. When on one occasion the prince was about to die of starvation, Chieh Chih ​t‘ui cut off a piece of his own flesh and gave it to the prince to eat, and thus saved his life. When the prince got to the seat of power, he forgot his faithful henchman, whereupon he fled with his mother, having a willow twig stuck in his hat, to a certain Mien Shan 綿山. When the prince eventually recollected his friend and benefactor he sent men to seek him; Though it was reported that he was hidden on a certain mountain, they could not find him. So in desperation they set fire to the brushwood on the mountain to force him out, but he would not yield and was burned to death; and ever since that time some remembrance has been kept of him; though no one refrains from lighting a fire on that day as formerly, still many people wear a twig of the willow tree, either in the hat or hair, in remembrance of him.
Ku yü, rice rain. This is the time when the rice seed bed is sown. Rain and sunshine are both needed at this time.
Li hsia, beginning of summer. Summer is believed to come from the south.
Hsiao man, small fullness. That is, the hsiao ch‘un or spring crop is ready for reaping in order to clear the land for the summer crop.
Mang chung, hurrying to plant the rice crop. This is the busiest season of the year, with reaping and ploughing, harrowing and planting.
Hsia chih (夏至), the midsummer solstice. At this season the male and female principles are unequal and therefore have to be avoided.
The people now begin to count the days till the dog days or 三伏天 commence. If the three fu (伏) are complete, there will be 30 days, but they rarely are complete, the autumn coming in before these days have run through their course, but after autumn there are still twenty-four autumn tigers, 秋老虎, following on the san fu. In each Chinese moon there are three kêng (庚), that is, one in every ten days; after midsummer three of these kêng are counted and then the dog days begin, and may last from 21 to 29 days.
Hsiao shu, small heat, and ta shu, great heat; these two cover the period just spoken of as the dog days.
​Li ch‘iu. The beginning of autumn, which is believed to come from the west. The people are pleased if it is very hot on this date as it means there will be dry grain in the granaries. Again, if this day should happen to be a chia (甲), it will rain for 120 days, if a ping (丙), it will be fine for that time.
Ch‘u shu, the finish of the heat; after this date the water is drained from the general crop of rice.
Pai lu, white dew. Cool weather arrives.
Ch‘iu fên, mid-autumn equinox.
Han lu, cold dew. At this season the farmers sow turnips, plant cabbages, sow tobacco seeds, the tobacco seedlings standing all through the winter, ready to be planted out in the spring.
Shuang chiang, descending frost. The military official goes out at this time to meet the frost which is said to appear as a horse-headed woman. This is the time when all nature dies, and the officials follow after Heaven's idea and carry out such executions as may be necessary.
Li tung, the beginning of the winter, which is believed to come from the north.
Hsiao hsüeh, small snow, and Ta hsüeh, great snow. These two periods cover a part of the winter in which it is said the pot cannot be heated.
Tung chih, midwinter. The ancients kept this as New Year. At this season the people worship their ancestors 始祖, and the officials worship the tablet to the reigning emperor. This is said by many to be the root of the year. At this season the family hog is killed or the meat purchased with which the La jou (臘腬), or New Year bacon, is prepared.
From midwinter begins the counting of the nines until eighty-one days is reached. In this connection the following stanzas are in common use:
The first and second nines, the hands are blown for cold.
The third and fourth nines, the frost kills pigs and dogs.
The fifth and sixth nines, the frost kills the old ox.
The seventh and eighth nines, the hands still hug the clothes.
Nine-nines are eighty-one, the farmer ploughs his land.
Hsiao han and ta (大) han, small cold and great cold. These two periods cover part of the eighty-one days of cold. This period has also a saying—小寒大寒凍死老蠻, small and great cold freeze the old aboriginal to death.