What is Xiaoman?

“Xiaoman” means that the seeds of summer crops (such as wheat and barley) are beginning to fill up but are not yet fully ripe. Its name alludes to the ancient Chinese philosophical idea of “fullness, but not fullness, and when you are in full bloom, you are in decline”, which emphasizes moderation and balance, a concept that still deeply influences Chinese attitudes towards life today.

Farming Traditions: The Wisdom of Dancing with Nature

During the season of Xiaoman, key farming events are taking place in the farmland:

Worshiping the God of Water: Ancient people worshipped the “God of Water” to pray for abundant rainfall to irrigate their first crops.

Insect repellent and grain protection: Farmers hang mugwort to repel insects, an ecological method of pest control that is still passed down in the countryside.

Folk Culture: Rituals at the Tip of the Tongue and Fingertips

Traditional Folk Culture of Xiaoman Festival

Xiaoman Festival is not only the epitome of China's farming civilization, but also carries a rich folk culture and wisdom of life. The following is an in-depth analysis of the unique traditions of this festival from the aspects of food, rituals, art and proverbs:

I. Xiaoman on the tip of the tongue: the dietary philosophy of “bitter” health

1. Eating bitter vegetables, clearing the heart fire

Traditional ingredients: dandelion, chicory, bitter gourd and other bitter wild vegetables were brought to the table, and the ancients believed that “bitterness can clear heat” and prevent heatiness, as well as prevent the spread of diseases. Traditional ingredients: Bitter vegetables such as dandelion, endive and bitter melon were brought to the table.

Cultural Metaphor: Bitter corresponds to the “heart” in the “five flavors” of Chinese medicine, and the Book of Zhou contains the phrase “Bitter Vegetable Show on the Day of the Small Fullness”, which implies that the bitter flavor harmonizes the body and reminds us that life needs to be “bitter before sweet”. The Book of the Zhou contains the saying, “On the day of Xiaoman, bitter vegetables are shown”, implying that bitter flavors are used to harmonize the body, reminding that life needs to be “bitter before sweet”.

Modern interpretation: such as the Jiangnan region of the “bitter vegetables and tofu soup”, the northern “cold chicory”, some restaurants will also launch a limited menu of the festival, a blend of tradition and innovation.

2. worship silkworm god, the source of silk

Jiangnan pray silkworm festival: small full is said to be the birth of the god of silkworms, sericulture areas such as Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, will hold a “silkworm flower”, dedicated to the god of silkworms, ‘Rayon’ or “Horse head mother”, praying for a good silk harvest. In order to pray for a good silk harvest.

Taboos and customs: Silkworm family closed to thank the guests, avoid smoke, knocking, and even red paper stickers to the door to avoid evil spirits, reflecting the reverence for the natural world.

Field Rituals: Dialogue between Man and Nature

1. Sacrifice to the God of Carts and Pray for Sweet Rain

Waterwheel Sacrifice: A waterwheel is set up by a paddy field, and wine and meat are offered to the “God of Carts” (the white dragon that is said to be in charge of irrigation), which is activated to draw water into the field, and the ritual often recites, "The God of Carts turns, and the rain comes. ".

Collective cooperation: villagers take turns pedaling the waterwheel to symbolize unity in the fight against drought, giving rise to the agricultural proverb "Move three carts (waterwheel, silk cart, oil cart) in Xiaoman.

2. Taboos on earth moving and maintenance of farming tools

“If the small fullness is not enough, the plow and harrow will be hung high”: if there is not enough rain at the time of the small fullness, farmers will suspend turning the soil to avoid hurting the earth's qi, and instead repair their farming tools in order to prepare for the rainy season.

Farming tools worship: some villages tie red cloths around plows and sickles to pray for smooth farming, reflecting the pragmatic spirit of “to do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools”.

Folk Art and Natural Aesthetics

1. Wheat ears are used in paintings, and everything has its own spirit.

Wheat art: Farmer's wives weave straw hats and grasshopper cages with ears of grouted wheat, and children make whistles out of straw, making the “aesthetics of the festival season on the tips of the fingers” everywhere in the fields.

Seasonal paintings: Ancient paintings often depict the “arrival of wheat in autumn” at the time of Xiaoman, such as the Qing Dynasty's “Cultivation and Weaving Picture,” which depicts a farmer checking the fullness of wheat grain. 2.

2. Life in Poetry and Ballads

Classical poems: Ouyang Xiu's “Wujie - Xiaoman” describes the vitality of the summer night in “The nightingale cries in the green willow, and the moon wakes up in the long sky”; and the Yuan Dynasty's “Collection of Seventy-two Waiting Times for the Moon Order” explains in detail that “Xiaoman is the period when things are full of life”.

Folk rhymes: such as “Xiaoman Xiaoman, wheat grains gradually full; Xiaoman dissatisfaction, regardless of the mango seed”, the agricultural experience into a catchy rhyme.

Regional Characteristics: One Side of the Waters, One Side of the Customs

Central Plains: In rural Henan, there is a “Xiaoman Hui” market, where summer harvesting tools and livestock are traded, just like a farming carnival.

Guanzhong Plain: Shaanxi farmers make “wheat rice” (steamed wheat grains mixed with wild vegetables), which is both a delicacy and a “taste of the new” before the harvest.

Lingnan region: Guangdong people make “old fire soup to get rid of dampness”, adding Poria cocos and kapok flowers to echo the hot and humid climate.

V. Chinese Philosophy Behind Folklore

“Xiaoman” vs. “Daoman”: The name of the festival avoids ‘Daoman’, which comes from the Shangshu's “Fullness Invites Loss, Modesty Benefits”, reflecting the Confucian concept of “fullness invites loss, modesty benefits”. “It embodies the dialectical thinking of Confucianism's ”middle way“ and Taoism's ”what goes around comes around".

The unity of man and heaven: from the worship of gods to food customs, all of them emphasize conforming to the time of heaven, which is an interesting contrast to the Western concept of “man's triumph over heaven”, and can serve as an inspiration for sustainable development for the international community.