小暑
每年7月7日、8日为农历二十四节气中第十一个节气——小暑。"暑"表示炎热的意思,小暑就是小热,还不十分热。这个名字是指气温开始升高,但还没有到最热的时候,全国大部分地区的情况基本符合。
小暑前后,我国南方大部分地区各地进入雷暴最多的季节。雷暴是一种剧烈的天气现象,常与大风、暴雨相伴出现,有时还有冰雹。这段时间外出游玩一定要提前关注天气预报。
三伏天出现在小暑和大暑之间,是一年中气温最高并且潮湿、闷热的日子。"伏"就是天气太热了,宜伏不宜动。三伏分为头伏、二伏、三伏,是一年中最热的三、四十天,三伏是按农历计算的,大约在阳历的7月中旬到8月上旬之间。
绿豆是我国传统豆类食物,不但有良好的食用价值,还有非常好的药用价值。伏天中绿豆汤是人们最喜欢的消暑饮料,它不但能补充人们损失的体液,更能止渴利尿。绿豆芽所含的热量很低,但富含纤维,更是暑天餐桌上的常见菜。
Lesser Heat
The eleventh solar term in the Chinese lunar calendar, Slight Heat falls on the seventh and eighth day of July every year. "暑(Shu)" means heat, and Slight Heat means it is a little bit hot, but not very hot. This term indicates the beginning of the escalating temperature, but it is still far from the hottest days. This is the situation for most parts of China.
Around the day of Slight Heat, most areas in the South China see the coming the period with the most thunderstorm days. The thunderstorm is a kind of extreme weather phenomena, which is always accompanied by strong winds and heavy rains, and sometimes by hailstones as well. Therefore, those who are planning for an outing had better follow the weather forecast closely during this period.
The dog days fall between Slight Heat and Great Heat. They are humid and sultry days with the highest temperature of the year. "伏(Fu)" means the weather is so hot that it is advisable to lie down than to move. The dog days, consisting of the first, the second and the third period of the hot season, refer to the thirty to forty hottest days of the year. The dog days are determined according to the Chinese lunar calendar and they usually fall between mid July and early August.
The mung bean is the traditional bean food in China. It is not only nutritious but also has certain medicinal value. The mung bean soup during the dog days is the most favorite drink to relieve summer heat. It can make up for the body fluid loss and induce diuresis. The mung bean sprouts are the most frequently seen ingredient in the dishes during the hot summer days, for they contain low heat but high fiber.