춘분 春分 Spring Equinox

as the name indicates, begins when day and night are of equal length

Our ancestors thought that the spring equinox was the day when spring began in earnest. It is said that people ate spring greens in their backyard and ate rice cakes that looked similar to songpyeon. They also looked at the weather at the spring equinox and predicted the crops for that year. It is said that it was believed that if it rained on the spring equinox, it was a rare year for sick people, and if there were no clouds, it would cause fever disease of all things from growing. Therefore, it is said that they waited for the spring equinox when the weather was bad and cloudy.

The spring equinox is often thought of as an obscure season, but in the past, it was considered an important day worldwide. In Persian cultures such as Egypt, Celts, Iran, and Central Asia, it is said that the beginning of the year was considered the spring equinox. Ancient Mexicans also regarded the spring equinox as the start of the new year, and many buildings, such as ancient temples, are designed to show mysterious phenomena in time for the spring equinox, and it is said that you can still see the mysterious phenomenon.

The foods eaten during the vernal equinox are roasted beans.

The reason is that it was believed that eating roasted beans would eliminate birds and mice, thereby eliminating grain production. In addition, beans are a low-fat, high-protein food that helps to improve physical strength, is rich in saponin, which is effective in enhancing obesity and adult diseases, and has anti-cancer effects called isoflavones, so it is also a food that increases immunity in spring.

In Korea, 머슴떡, called farmhand's rice cake, is eaten on the spring equinox. On this day, they called the farmhands who were resting on a cold day to pray for a good harvest this year, prepared alcohol and food, served them, and prayed for a good harvest.

It is also a day to eat seasonal green vegetables in spring. Spring greens, such as wild chive, shepherd's purse, Ixeris dentata, and mugwort, are already well-known for health because of their fragrant aroma and rich nutrients. Mugwort harvested in March is delicious, so if you eat it as an herb, it has the effect of helping blood circulation by removing wastes in the blood. Spring herbs can help those who are weak in the body, especially those with weak digestive organs, by replenishing energy in the spring, which is prone to fatigue, and boosting immunity. Vegetables can be eaten raw, or it is common tㅐsteme them lightly and mix them with soybean paste or red pepper paste with minced garlic.