TUCK IN: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival in Shandong Province (WANG LIJUN)

Solar Term 16: Autumnal Equinox (Qiu Fen)

Gregorian date: September 23 or 24

Lunar date: Middle of the 8th month

According to the Spring and Autumn Annals, one of the Five Classics of Chinese literature, qiu fen is defined as an equal division between yang energy and yin energy. During this period, night becomes as long as day, and the weather is neither cold nor hot. In the Northern Hemisphere, qiu fen marks the start of shorter days and longer nights.

In north China, autumn farming commences. As the proverb goes, "During the period of autumn harvest, plowing and sowing, farmers are so busy that all family members [must] help in the field." Other proverbs explain that the best time to plant winter wheat is during qiu fen.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, the second most important festival for Chinese people (after the Spring Festival), usually falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. People reunite with family and eat mooncakes together in celebration. Traditionally, this festival occurs once grain is stored in the granary after a harvest, resulting in its other name, Harvest Moon Festival.

It's now when cooling foods and icy drinks should be replaced with cooked meals and warm liquids. Excessive consumption of cooling foods may cause coughs and upper respiratory diseases, or harm the immune system, especially in fall.

The Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor advises people to go to bed early and rise with the roosters at dawn during fall. Doing so keeps mental faculties calm and peaceful. It also suggests conserving mental energy to stay in harmony with the condensing quality of autumn qi or energy. This is the ancient Chinese wisdom of nourishing the body during autumn's harvest season.