ANCIENT Chinese people divided the year into 24 solar terms for the convenience of agricultural production, a tradition we still follow today. Minor Heat (Chinese: 小暑), the 11th solar term of the year, began Thursday and ends July 22 this year. Minor Heat signifies the hottest period is ahead. The 24 solar terms were created thousands of years ago, but they are still useful today to guide people’s lives in terms of eating special foods, having cultural ceremonies and following health tips around certain time. Here are the tips for Minor Heat. Thunderstorms often occur during Minor Heat, though in some years there might be droughts. One of the prevailing farming activities during Minor Heat is to watch out for flood control and drought relief. The high temperatures are good for the growth of the lotus flower. From Minor Heat to the Double Ninth Festival, lotus flowers are in full bloom, a nice view to enjoy. Minor Heat is the season when fireflies become lively. Zhu Shuzhen, a woman of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), once described in her famous poem “Summer Fireflies” a happy scene of children playing with fireflies in the woods at night. Minor Heat comes when all kinds of melons are being harvested. One custom in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province has to do with enjoying small melons on the day of Minor Heat and having big melons on the day of Major Heat. Small and big melons normally refer to cantaloupes and watermelons. Dumplings are the traditional and household food among Chinese. When the dog days arrive, people tend to lose their appetites, and dumplings are a good choice for food. During the Minor Heat period, when sun rays are strong and the day is long, many families hang their clothes out in the sun to prevent mildew gathering. (China Daily) | 