When Grain in Ear arrives, the hundred flowers begin to wither. Why did people traditionally give a farewell feast to the Flower Goddess?
"Where the marsh grass grows, grain is sown in ear."
At 1:29 on June 6, the third solar term of summer arrives. Grain in Ear.
The arrival of Grain in Ear also heralds the opening of the hot midsummer.
The so-called "Grain in Ear" refers to wheat beginning to ripen, the grains plump, and long awns growing from the stalks.
This is a harvest solar term of summer growth and grain filling the barns. It is also a solar term of inner meaning, when flowers begin to fade and the Flower Goddess is sent back.
Flowers fading means the next blooming.
In ancient China, whenever the Grain in Ear season came, people would hold a grand ceremony to sacrifice to the Flower Goddess, giving her a farewell feast as she returned to her place, expressing people's gratitude for the Flower Goddess's blessing of beauty upon the world and their hope of meeting again the following year.
The grand scene of the Flower Goddess at the time of Grain in Ear is vividly described in Chapter 72 of "Dream of the Red Chamber":
"On the day of Grain in Ear, all kinds of gifts must be set out to sacrifice to and give a farewell feast to the Flower Goddess, for once Grain in Ear has passed, it is summer, all the flowers fall, and the Flower Goddess abdicates, so she must be given a send-off."
"Those girls, some weaving sedan chairs and horses from flower petals and willow branches, some stacking pennants and banners from fine silks and gauzes, all tied them with colored thread. On every tree, on every branch of flowers, they tied these things.
Throughout the garden embroidered ribbons fluttered in the wind, flower branches swayed gracefully, and moreover these people were dressed so beautifully that they put peaches to shame and made apricots yield, made swallows envious and orioles ashamed; for a moment there was no end to the telling."
The era has passed, and the custom of sacrificing to the Flower Goddess has long ceased to exist. But in the heart of every flower lover, we will not forget the countless kinds of flowers that nature has bestowed upon us, giving us the good fortune to have flowers as friends and companions.
When Grain in Ear arrives, it is the time of plum rains. Every year at this time, the green plums of the south begin to ripen.
People take the freshly picked green plums and process them into refreshing green plum wine, to dispel the summer heat and dampness.
A cup of green plum wine, idly watching the fallen flowers drift, as the long summer slowly grows.
Tomorrow is Grain in Ear. With the summer heat and restlessness, flower friends must take good care of their health, eat sensibly, keep regular hours, and spend this beautiful summer together with our flowers and plants.