Health Symbolism in the Diet of Lixia (Start of Summer)
It is said that on Lixia, one must eat special dishes such as boiled eggs, bamboo shoots, and peas in their pods. The word "Zhu" (拄) means "to support". In his poem "Tea Brewing at the Examination Academy", Su Shi wrote the line, "Without filling my belly with 5,000 scrolls of writing". Lixia marks the beginning of summer. In Shengzhou, people eat eggs to "support" their hearts, bamboo shoots to "support" their legs, and peas to "support" their eyes. They also weigh themselves to "support" their bodies. The purpose of these customs is to pray for the health of important parts of the body like the heart, mind, and legs, to prevent illness, and to wish for a smooth passage through the hot summer.
Dietary Customs in Different Regions:
1. Five-Color Rice: In the past, in the countryside, five types of beans—red soybeans, yellow soybeans, black soybeans, green soybeans, and mung beans—were mixed with white japonica rice to cook "Five-Color Rice", also known as Lixia rice. There was also the custom of tying a bracelet of five-colored threads to a child's wrist, called a "Lixia bracelet".
2. Eating "Soft Vegetables": In some southern regions, there is a custom of eating "soft vegetables" (Juntacai, or shepherd's purse) on Lixia. It is said that eating them prevents prickly heat in the summer and keeps the skin as smooth as the vegetable.
3. Eating Shrimp Noodles: In the past, people in southern Fujian ate shrimp noodles on Lixia. Shrimp were mixed into the noodles and cooked. When the shrimp turned red, it was considered an auspicious color. As "shrimp" (虾, xiā) is a homophone for "summer" (夏, xià), this was a way to express good wishes for the summer.
4. Eating "Guangbing" (Plain Biscuits): In some areas of Fujian, it is a custom to eat "Guangbing" on Lixia.
5. "Seven-House Porridge": In the rural areas of eastern Zhejiang, people eat "Seven-House Porridge" on Lixia. This porridge is made by collecting rice from neighbors, adding various kinds of beans and sugar, and cooking a large pot for everyone to share. It is believed that eating this porridge promotes harmony among neighbors and unites everyone in the work of summer plowing and planting.
6. "Jia Gu Jian" (Strong Bones): In Ningbo, the custom on this day is to eat "Jia Gu Sun" (bone-strengthening bamboo shoots). These are made from black bamboo shoots, about three to four inches long, and not split open. To eat them, one must pick two shoots of the same thickness and eat them in one bite. It is said that doing so will strengthen one's bones and keep the body healthy.
7. Eating "Guangbing": In the eastern part of Fujian, eating "Guangbing" (a plain biscuit made from baked flour with a little salt) is the main custom on Lixia. In Zhouning and Fu'an counties, the Guangbing is soaked in water and then made into a dish. In Jiaocheng and Fuding counties, the biscuit is split in half and filled with stir-fried bean sprouts, chives, meat, pickled vegetables, etc.
8. In some villages in Chichi Town, Zhouning County, people eat "Lixia Hu" (Lixia Paste). There are two main types: rice paste and sweet potato starch paste. A large pot is used to cook the paste, which is filled with a rich variety of ingredients like meat, small bamboo shoots, wild vegetables, chicken and duck offal, tofu, etc. Neighbors invite each other to share the paste soup. This custom is somewhat similar to the "Seven-House Porridge" custom in rural eastern Zhejiang. The "Seven-House Porridge" and "Seven-House Tea" can also be seen as another form of "tasting the new" on Lixia. The porridge is made by collecting rice from neighbors, adding various beans and brown sugar, cooking a large pot, and sharing it. The tea is made when each family brings their own freshly baked tea leaves, mixes them together, brews a large pot, and everyone gathers to drink together. These porridge and tea might not be the most delicious foods, but these rituals were important social activities in rural society. In the rural areas of eastern Zhejiang, there is a custom of eating "Seven-House Porridge" on Lixia, where farming neighbors exchange beans and rice, mix them with yellow sugar, and cook a large pot of porridge together.
Folk Customs of Lixia
After Lixia comes the hot summer. People often eat certain foods on this day to pray for blessings and peace. For example, people in Shengzhou, Zhejiang, believe that eating eggs "supports" (zhù) the heart, bamboo shoots "support" the legs, and peas "support" the eyes. In Changsha, Hunan, people eat "Lixia Geng" (Lixia Soup), which are balls made from rice flour mixed with cudweed. A local proverb says, "Eat the Lixia soup, and you can press millstones into pits," and "Eat a 'tuan' (a ball-shaped food), and you can leap across a river," implying immense strength and lightness. In the suburban counties of Shanghai, farmers make "Mai Can" (silkworm-like snacks) from wheat flour and sugar, about an inch long. It is said that eating them can prevent "zhuxia" (summer heat fatigue). In Tongshan County, Hubei, Lixia is considered an important festival. People eat "pao" (strawberries), shrimp, and bamboo shoots, believing that eating strawberries "brightens the eyes", eating shrimp "gives great strength", and eating bamboo shoots "strengthens the bones". In the southern Fujian region, people eat shrimp noodles on Lixia. They buy sea shrimp, mix them into the noodles to cook, and when the shrimp turn red, it is considered an auspicious color. As "shrimp" (虾, xiā) is a homophone for "summer" (夏, xià), this serves as a good wish for the summer.
An ancient poem says: "On Lixia, weigh the body, hang the scale on the beam, and the laughter fills the room." The custom of "weighing the body" on Lixia was mainly popular in southern China and originated in the Three Kingdoms period. Legend has it that after Liu Bei's death, Zhuge Liang entrusted his son, Adou, to Zhao Zilong to be taken to Jiangdong, and asked his stepmother, Lady Sun (who had returned to her family home), to raise him. It happened to be Lixia that day. Lady Sun weighed Adou in front of Zhao Zilong. The next year on Lixia, she weighed him again to see how much weight he had gained and wrote to Zhuge Liang to report it. This is how the custom spread among the people. It is said that if you weigh yourself on this day, you will not be afraid of the summer heat and will not lose weight; otherwise, you will be plagued by illness. After the Lixia meal, a large scale is hung on a beam. Adults hold the scale hooks with both hands and hang in the air to be weighed. Children sit in a basket or on an upside-down stool, which is hung from the scale hooks. It is believed that being weighed on Lixia can prevent "zhuxia". If the weight increases, it is called "fatu" (getting fortune); if it decreases, it is called "xiorou" (losing flesh). On this day, children are forbidden from sitting on stone steps; if they do, they must sit on seven of them to ward off all illnesses. They are also forbidden from sitting on the threshold (difu), as it is believed to cause leg pain in the summer. If a child sits on one threshold, they must sit on six more to make a total of seven to break the curse. In the past, mothers would pierce their daughters' ears on this day. While coaxing the child to eat a tea egg, they would pierce the ear with a needle when the child opened their mouth to bite the egg. Some people also pierced their pet cats' ears and tied a red string on them. As early as in ancient times, kings would also go out of the city to welcome the arrival of summer on Lixia.
In Shanghai's customs for Lixia, as eggs are in season, people always eat eggs on this day, and children would have an egg hanging around their necks in a red mesh bag. Shanghai also has the custom of "Jiao Lixia Ji Fen Ming, Chi Ta Can Shi Bao Cheng" (The festival of Lixia is clearly remembered, after eating the摊菜, we test the scale). On Lixia, people eat a pancake made from taro and golden clover, and at noon, everyone, regardless of age or gender, has their weight measured.
There is also a custom of not sitting on the threshold on Lixia. In Anhui, the "Taihu County Gazetteer" from the 10th year of the Daoguang reign records: "On Lixia, make a soup with bamboo shoots and amaranth. People are warned not to sit on the threshold or to nap during the day, as it is believed to lead to weariness and illness in the summer." The "Ningxian County Gazetteer" from the 1930s records: "Lixia. Weigh the body to prevent disease, so-called not fearing summer. It is a common belief that sitting on the threshold on Lixia will lead to a year of listlessness." Lixia was also called the "end of spring day" in ancient times. Poets, with their sentimental attachment to spring, would often express their sorrow in poetry and gather with friends for drinks, leaving many masterpieces.
Image source: Internet.