芒种：忙种之时，收获希望
芒种，作为二十四节气中的第九个节气，通常于公历 6 月 5 – 7 日交节。此时，气温显著升高，雨量充沛，空气湿度增大，夏熟作物如小麦等已到收获之时，而谷类、黍类等夏播作物也正值播种的繁忙季节，芒种之名，便生动地体现了这一 “有芒之谷类作物可种，有芒之谷类作物应收” 的农忙景象。
一、芒种的历史渊源
芒种的历史十分悠久，早在《周礼》中就有 “泽草所生，种之芒种” 的记载，东汉郑玄注解为 “泽草之所生，其地可种芒种，芒种，稻麦也”，可见古人对芒种时节与农业生产关系的深刻认知。在传统农业社会，芒种是极为关键的农事节点，农民们依据芒种的物候特征，精心安排收割与播种工作，以确保农作物的生长周期与季节变化相契合，从而获得良好的收成，这种对天时地利的精准把握和辛勤劳作，构成了芒种节气深厚的历史底蕴。
二、芒种的民俗文化
（一）饮食习俗
芒种时节有其独特的饮食文化。青梅是芒种的时令水果，在南方地区，有煮青梅的习俗。由于青梅味道酸涩，直接食用口感不佳，人们便将青梅煮制，加工成青梅酒、青梅汤等饮品。煮青梅不仅能改善其口感，还具有保健功效，如开胃消食、清热解暑等，为炎热的夏季带来一丝清凉与惬意。此外，芒种时节，部分地区还有吃君踏菜的习俗。君踏菜是一种营养丰富的野菜，含有多种维生素和矿物质，食用君踏菜寓意着在忙碌的农忙时节，人们依然能够保持健康的身体，精力充沛地投入到农业生产中。
（二）传统活动
送花神是芒种较为独特的传统活动。在古代，农历二月二花朝节迎花神，而芒种已近五月，百花开始凋零，人们便会举行仪式欢送花神归位，表达对花神的感激之情，同时也寄托了对来年繁花似锦的美好期盼。这一活动充满了诗意与浪漫情怀，体现了古人对自然万物的敬重与热爱。在一些地区，芒种还有安苗的习俗，村民们会用新麦面蒸发包，把面捏成五谷六畜、瓜果蔬菜等形状，然后用蔬菜汁染上颜色，作为祭祀供品，祈求五谷丰登、村民平安，这反映了人们对农业丰收和生活安定的强烈渴望。
三、芒种的文化意义
芒种蕴含着丰富的文化意义。从自然规律角度看，它是农作物生长周期中的重要转折点，体现了大自然生命循环的节奏与秩序，人们在芒种时节的农事活动，是对自然节律的顺应与配合，彰显了中华民族古老的农耕智慧。在文化层面，芒种的民俗活动反映了人们对生活的热爱与对未来的美好憧憬。无论是煮青梅、吃君踏菜的饮食习俗，还是送花神、安苗的传统活动，都饱含着人们对自然的感恩之心、对健康的珍视之情以及对幸福生活的不懈追求。芒种如同一个文化符号，将农业生产与民俗文化紧密相连，传承着中华民族勤劳质朴、敬畏自然的精神品质，在岁月的长河中熠熠生辉，不断激励着人们在生活的田野里辛勤耕耘，收获希望。
Grain in Ear: A Time of Busy Planting and Harvesting Hopes
Grain in Ear, the ninth solar term among the twenty-four solar terms, usually occurs around June 5 – 7 in the Gregorian calendar. At this time, the temperature rises significantly, there is abundant rainfall and the air humidity increases. Summer-harvest crops such as wheat are ready to be harvested, while summer-sown crops like cereals and broomcorn millet are in the busy season of sowing. The name “Grain in Ear” vividly reflects this farming scene of “awned cereal crops can be sown and awned cereal crops should be harvested”.
1. Historical Origin of Grain in Ear
Grain in Ear has a very long history. As early as recorded in “The Rites of Zhou”, “Where marsh grass grows, it is time to plant Grain in Ear”. Zheng Xuan of the Eastern Han Dynasty annotated it as “Where marsh grass grows, it is a place where Grain in Ear can be planted. Grain in Ear refers to rice and wheat”. It can be seen that the ancients had a profound understanding of the relationship between the Grain in Ear season and agricultural production. In traditional agricultural society, Grain in Ear was an extremely crucial farming node. Farmers arranged harvesting and sowing work meticulously according to the phenological characteristics of Grain in Ear to ensure that the growth cycle of crops matched the seasonal changes and thus obtain a good harvest. This precise grasp of the opportune time and hard work constituted the profound historical heritage of the Grain in Ear solar term.
2. Folk Culture of Grain in Ear
(1) Dietary Customs
There is a unique dietary culture during the Grain in Ear season. Green plums are seasonal fruits in Grain in Ear. In southern regions, there is a custom of boiling green plums. Since the taste of green plums is sour and astringent and not good to eat directly, people boil green plums and process them into drinks such as green plum wine and green plum soup. Boiling green plums can not only improve the taste but also has health care effects such as stimulating appetite, promoting digestion and relieving summer heat, bringing a touch of coolness and comfort in the hot summer. In addition, in some regions, there is also a custom of eating Junta vegetables during Grain in Ear. Junta vegetables are a kind of nutritious wild vegetables, containing a variety of vitamins and minerals. Eating Junta vegetables implies that in the busy farming season, people can still maintain a healthy body and energetically engage in agricultural production.
(2) Traditional Activities
Seeing off the Flower Goddess is a relatively unique traditional activity in Grain in Ear. In ancient times, the Flower Goddess was welcomed on the second day of the second lunar month, which is the Flower Festival. By Grain in Ear, which is close to the fifth lunar month, all flowers begin to wither. People would hold a ceremony to see off the Flower Goddess back to her position, expressing gratitude to the Flower Goddess and also placing good expectations for a splendid bloom of flowers in the coming year. This activity is full of poetic and romantic feelings and reflects the ancients’ respect and love for all things in nature. In some regions, there is also a custom of “Anmiao” in Grain in Ear. Villagers steam buns with new wheat flour and knead the flour into shapes of five grains, six domestic animals, melons, fruits and vegetables, etc., and then color them with vegetable juice as sacrificial offerings, praying for a bumper harvest of grains and the safety of villagers. This reflects people’s strong desire for a good agricultural harvest and a stable life.
3. Cultural Significance of Grain in Ear
Grain in Ear contains rich cultural significance. From the perspective of natural laws, it is an important turning point in the growth cycle of crops, reflecting the rhythm and order of the life cycle of nature. People’s farming activities during Grain in Ear are in line with and cooperate with the natural rhythm, demonstrating the ancient farming wisdom of the Chinese nation. On a cultural level, the folk activities of Grain in Ear reflect people’s love for life and good expectations for the future. Whether it is the dietary customs of boiling green plums and eating Junta vegetables or the traditional activities of seeing off the Flower Goddess and “Anmiao”, they all contain people’s gratitude to nature, their cherish of health and their unremitting pursuit of a happy life. Grain in Ear is like a cultural symbol that closely connects agricultural production and folk culture, inheriting the spiritual qualities of the Chinese nation of being diligent, simple and in awe of nature. It shines brightly in the long river of history and constantly inspires people to work hard in the fields of life and harvest hopes.