Every year, there are two days when the day is as long as the night. They are the Spring Equinox and the Autumn Equinox (春分和秋分). In 2024, the Autumn Equinox will be on Sept. 22nd. After the Autumn Equinox, China will have cooler days. So on this day, people hold some special activities to celebrate it.
Standing eggs on end
On the Autumn Equinox day, thousands of people around the world try to make eggs stand on end. This Chinese custom has become the world’s game. Usually, eggs about four or five days old are better for the game.
Sending the autumn cattle (秋牛)
The so-called “autumn cattle” is a piece of red or yellow paper printed with solar terms (节气) and a picture of farming cattle. On the Autumn Equinox, people often take these papers from house to house and say or sing some words with good wishes. They may get some pocket money for doing this.
Eating qiucai
Qiucai is a kind of wild autumn vegetable. It’s thin and about 20 cm long. Every Autumn Equinox day, some people in South China go to pick qiucai in the wild. Then, they put qiucai into soup with fish. It’s believed that it can clear their bodies and make them healthy.
【小题1】Which activity on the Autumn Equinox has become the world’s game?| A．Eating qiucai. | B．Flying kites. |
| C．Sending the autumn cattle. | D．Standing eggs on end. |
| A．It’s an animal. | B．It’s a story. |
| C．It’s a good wish. | D．It’s a piece of paper. |
| A．To be thinner. | B．To make the fish soup taste better. |
| C．To celebrate the coming of autumn. | D．To clear their bodies and keep healthy. |
