春分麦起身 一刻值千金
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《春分麦起身 一刻值千金》
Spring Equinox: Wheat Grows Tall, and Every Second Is Worth Its Value in Gold
春分，二十四节气之一，是春季第四个重要节气。
Spring Equinox, One of the 24 Solar Terms, Is the Fourth Important Solar Term in Spring.
春分一般在3月20日或21日。这一天阳光直射赤道，昼夜几乎相等，故称“春分”。其后阳光直射位置逐渐北移，北半球开始昼长夜短。在中国，除青藏高原、东北、西北和华北北部地区外，都将进入明媚的春天。
Spring equinox usually falls on March 20 or 21, when the sun shines directly on the equator, and the length of day and night is almost the same, so it’s called ‘equinox’. After that, the sun’s position gradually moves northward, and days begin to grow longer and nights become shorter in the northern hemisphere. Except for the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the northeast, the northwest and the northern part of North China, the most parts of China will enter a bright spring.
按照春分“三候”所说，这一时节，燕子将从南方飞来，下雨时天空便要打雷并发出闪电。这说明春分节气正是气温回暖，雨水充沛的时期，也是农作物春季生长的关键时节。农村有句俗语：“春分麦起身，一刻值千金”说的就是这个意思了。冬小麦返青后到了起身期，是最需要水肥、锄草、防治病虫害等管理的时候，因而这时如果还没有进行浇水施肥等农业活动的，就应该抓紧时间了！
As the saying goes, spring equinox brings swallows back from the south, and when it rains, there will be thunder and lightning. The warming of weather of abundant rainfall at this time are critical for the growth of crops. There is a saying in the countryside: “Spring equinox, wheat rises, time is as precious as gold.” Wheat turns green and then grows taller, which is the time to manage water and fertilizer, weeding, pest control and so on. Therefore, we must seize the right time for agricultural activities such as watering and fertilization!
在民间，春分日也有许多有意思的活动和习俗。
There are also many interesting activities and folk customs about the spring equinox.
“竖蛋”。 选择一个光滑匀称、刚生下四五天的新鲜鸡蛋，轻手轻脚地在桌子上把它竖起来。4000年前，中华民族先民就开始以此庆贺春天的来临 ，“春分到，蛋儿俏”的说法流传至今。
‘Vertical egg’. Choose a smooth, well proportioned, fresh egg that is just four or five days old and set it up on the table. About 4,000 years ago, our ancestors stared this tradition to celebrate the coming of spring. The saying that when the equinox arrives, eggs are nice goes back to this day.
“放风筝”。春分期间还是孩子们放风筝的好时候，尤其是春分当天，甚至大人们也参与，相互竞争看哪个的放得高。
‘Flying kites’. It’s also a happy time for children to fly kites, especially on the day of the equinox. Even adults participate in the competition to see which one flies higher.
“春祭”。春分后祭拜祖先规模很大，队伍往往达几百甚至上千人。扫墓前先要在祠堂举行隆重的祭祖仪式，杀猪、宰羊，请鼓手吹奏，由礼生念祭文，带引行三献礼。
‘Rites for ancestor-worship in spring’. The spring equinox ushers in the time of ancestor worship, and the number of people often reaches hundreds or even thousands. Before the tomb sweeping, a grand ancestor worship ceremony should be held in the ancestral hall in which pigs and sheep are killed. The drummer is requested to play and the master of ceremonies will recite the sacrifice and lead the three offerings.
此外，春分也是人们调养身体的大好时机，应多食用蔬菜及山野菜等。这时昼夜温差较大，雨水较多，仍要注意保暖。
In addition, the equinox is also a good time for people to work on improving their fitness. They should eat more vegetables and wild vegetables. At this time, the temperature difference between day and night is large and there is much rain, so it is still necessary to keep warm.