立夏是中国传统二十四节气（the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms）中的第七个节气，标志着由春入夏的季节变迁。在此期间，全国大部分地区，温度迅速上升。
此前的内容中，咱们学过“立春”的英语表达是Start of Spring。那相应的，“立夏”就是Start of Summer啦。
立夏都有哪些习俗呢？一起来看看吧。
The Beginning of Summer comes on May 5 or May 6 every year. When the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 45 degrees, it’s the beginning of the summer season.
“立夏”于每年5月5日-5月6日到来。这时太阳到达天文经度45°，象征着夏天的开始。
celestial /səˈlestʃl/ 天空的；天体的
longitude /ˈlɑːndʒɪtuːd/ 经度
celestial longitude 天文经度、黄经
立夏
气候特征
Usually people consider this period as the time where temperature begins to rise obviously, thunderstorm becomes more frequent and crops’ growth enter the peak season. Many crops seeded in spring can be harvested in the summer.
通常人们认为这段时间是气温开始明显上升的时候，雷雨天气愈加频繁，作物进入疯长季节。很多在春季播种的作物可以在夏天收获了。
立夏习俗
— 吃立夏蛋 / Eating Eggs —
In ancient China, people believed a round egg symbolized a happy life and eating eggs on the day of The Beginning of Summer was a prayer for good health. They put leftover tea into boiled water together with eggs and the original "tea egg" was created. Later people improved cooking methods and added spices to the eggs to make them taste delicious. Today tea egg has become a traditional snack in China.
在中国古代，人们相信一个圆圆的鸡蛋预示着一个幸福圆满的人生。在立夏这天吃鸡蛋，是对身体健康的一种祈祷。他们将吃剩下的茶叶放进烧开的滚水中跟鸡蛋一起煮。这样，最原始的“茶叶蛋” 就诞生了。之后，人们改良了煮茶叶蛋的方法，加入了调味料和香料，让鸡蛋可以吃起来更美味。当今，茶叶蛋已经是一款中国经典的小吃了。
— 斗蛋 / Egg Competetion —
As an old Chinese saying goes "hanging an egg on children's chest can prevent them from getting summer diseases,” parents will prepare boiled eggs and put them in a knitted bag before hanging them on their child’s chest. When at school, children gather together to play egg competitions by colliding each other's eggs in pairs and the one whose egg is not broken wins.
古时有句谚语“立夏胸挂蛋，孩子不疰夏”。立夏那天，家家户户煮好囫囵蛋（鸡蛋带壳清煮，不能破损），在冷水中浸上数分钟之后再套上早已编织好的丝网袋，挂于孩子颈上。
到了学校里，孩子们便三五成群，进行斗蛋游戏。蛋分两端，尖者为头，圆者为尾，斗蛋时蛋头斗蛋头，蛋尾击蛋尾，一个一个斗，破者认输，直到分出高低。
— 吃蚕豆 / 吃乌米饭 / 称人 —
In folk, people relieve the summer heat with cold drinks. People along the Yangtze River have the customs of boiling and eating broad bean （蚕豆）.
在民间，人们通过喝凉水来消暑。长江沿岸的人们在立夏还有煮蚕豆吃的习俗。
Many people throughout southern China during lixia will make what they traditionally call,“colorful rice.” It is made from many different kinds of beans, like red beans,soy beans, black beans, green beans and mung beans mixed together with white japonica rice（粳米）. After eating the “lixia rice,” the people also had the custom of weighing themselves, for they say that those who weigh themselves on that day don’t have to be afraid of pining away（消瘦；憔悴） during the sweltering heat of the summer.
立夏这天，我国民间还有很多趣味习俗。立夏当天，我国南方很多地方的人们会用赤豆、黄豆、黑豆、青豆、绿豆等五色豆拌合白粳米煮成“五色饭”，俗称吃“立夏饭”。吃过“立夏饭”，还有“称人”的习俗。据说这一天称了体重之后，就不怕夏季炎热，不会消瘦。
japonica rice /dʒəˈpɑːnɪkə raɪs/ 粳米
sweltering /ˈsweltərɪŋ/ 炎热的
