The season is gradually becoming more autumnal.
This time we will talk about the autumnal equinox, the 17th season in the 24 solar terms .
This time we will talk about the autumnal equinox, the 17th season in the 24 solar terms .
What is the autumnal equinox?
The autumnal equinox refers to the period from September 23rd to October 7th .
The autumnal equinox is the day when the sun rises due east and sets due west, and day and night are of equal length.
After the autumnal equinox, the weather changes to one that feels more and more like autumn, and autumn deepens.
Autumnal Equinox Foods
A food unique to this season is "ohagi," which is eaten on the equinox day.
It is customary to eat ohagi after making an offering, and the red beans in the rice cakes are said to have the power to ward off evil spirits, and are also said to be a way to offer prayers to ancestors.
This is also the season when mushrooms, potatoes, saury, and mackerel are all delicious.
Autumnal Equinox Flower
The flowers of the autumn equinox are the sweet osmanthus and the red spider lily.
When you take a walk at this time of year, you can smell the sweet scent of osmanthus.
In recent years, bath salts and hand creams with the scent of osmanthus have also been released, and their sweet, pleasant scent soothes a tired mind.
Higanbana (red spider lilies) are called red spider lilies because they bloom during the equinox season.
It's a beautiful plant, but it's actually poisonous and dangerous.
There is also a scary legend that if you eat it, you will go to the other side (the afterlife).
The flower has a distinctive radial shape, and the red spider lily design is used on earrings, necklaces, nails, and other items, and contrary to the scary legend, it has a gorgeous and beautiful appearance.
72nd generation
- The thunder ceases to rumble.
- Mushikakureteto wo fusaguru (covering the hole that insects have dug in the ground)
- Water begins to dry up (mizuhajimekaru) Water begins to dry up in the fields
*The 72 seasonal divisions (shichijunikou) are a system of representing the seasons devised in ancient China. They refer to periods in which the 24 solar terms are further divided into three periods of approximately five days each.
It's getting cooler these days, making it easier to go out.
It gets chilly in the mornings and evenings, so be sure to bring something to put on when you go out.
Author: Mizuguchi Edited by: Yui, Sekido, and Kambara
