Xiaoman Solar term - Small Sprouts (Small Filling)

The air temperature rises noticeably. There is an active filling with the life-giving juices of summer grains — barley and winter wheat, so the name of this season can be translated as “small filling” or “small saturation”. 

Xiaoman solar term is the eighth of the 24 solar terms of the Chinese calendar. This is the second season of summer, it occurs annually on May 20-22 and coincides with the second half of the month of the Snake. The Xiaoman solar term lasts until about June 6, when it gives way to the  Manzhong solar term - Grain in Beard..

CLIMAT

The eighth small season of the Chinese agricultural calendar is the beginning of important phenological changes in nature, when ripe buds on trees and flower buds open, and grains of summer cereals are filled with life-giving juices. At the beginning of this season, the initial period of ripening of summer grains begins, which is why the season is called “small sprouts.”

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During the Xiaoman period and until the beginning of the next season, Manzhong (“Grain in Beard”), hot summer gradually sets in in different regions of China. There is a lush growth of grasses and weeds everywhere. Hot and dry weather is coming. In regions of irrigated agriculture during this period, it is extremely important to “saturate” crops with moisture, which will ensure their further growth, help them fight weeds, and give them strength to withstand heat and dryness.

It is believed that in 15 days of the lesser season of Xiaoman, the yang energy in nature will reach its peak, and the birth of yin power will begin. Yin helps slow down the growth process; only with the appearance of yin energy does the process of natural ripening of various vegetables, fruits, cereals and melons begin.

TRADITIONS

It is very interesting that, according to tradition, with the onset of the Xiaoman solar term, Chinese peasants began to launch three types of mechanical devices (Chinese: 小满动三车): a water wheel for watering crops, a mechanical press for squeezing oil, and a device for unwinding cocoons. The launch process began with the obligatory worship of the deity of mechanical devices — Cheshen (Chinese: 车神). The ritual of making a sacrifice to the spirit of water and irrigation was also obligatory. The custom is associated with the increased attention that farmers paid to irrigating their fields this season. According to legend, the patron of irrigation systems and water was a white dragon. During the ceremony, people made a ritual offering, lit incense, and threw a symbolic cup of water into the field, praying for blessed summer rains.

HEALTH

According to doctors of traditional Chinese medicine, with the beginning of the Xiaoman solar term, one should begin to prepare the body for the hot summer. Man is part of Nature. His body is under constant influence from the environment. That is why during the Xiaoman season, people very often experience wind-heat conditions, some skin diseases, dry and itchy skin, sunburn, and in severe cases, overheating of the body and heat stroke.

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Hot and humid weather promotes the accumulation of harmful fluid or phlegm (Chinese: 湿气) in the body. Phlegm, in turn, leads to stagnant processes — it clogs the channels of the meridians along which qi energy circulates. This process can be compared to spring ice drift, which is one of the main causes of spring floods. To counteract the excessive influence of seasonal factors, it is necessary to pay special attention to nutrition.

NUTRITION

During the Xiaoman season, people often experience conditions with wind-heat properties: dry skin, sunburn, overheating of the body, skin diseases. To avoid this, you need to increase your fluid intake, especially in hot weather. It is also advisable to avoid fatty, fried, high-calorie foods, which cause depletion of Yin and body fluids. Equally important is the consumption of food with the properties of coolness and neutrality, which helps replenish Yin and fluid in the body. These products include most fresh vegetables, herbs, fruits and berries. Various types of lettuce, greens, radishes, cucumbers, and a little later — garden strawberries — all these products have cool and cold properties.

Excellent dishes for this solar term would be cold vegetable soup and fresh herb salads. And to avoid excessive accumulation of internal cold, add green onions, mustard and other foods with a spicy taste and heat properties to your dishes.