Jenny Lao-Phillips
Today, the 6th of March, is a special day this year. It was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, and the beginning of abstinence and fasting for Christians. For the Chinese tradition, yesterday we also entered a new period of the twenty-four solar terms within the traditional Chinese calendar: the term of Insects Awaken (驚蟄Jingzhe).
It is said that the beginning of this third of the solar terms is marked by rain and thunderstorms, so insects in hibernation are awakened by the thunder. There is an old story which tells that the god of thunder is a bird with a hammer, and on the first day of Jingzhe the bird god uses his hammer to wake up all lives on earth, hence, the thunderstorm. Of course, we then learn from science that animals and insects come out of hibernation because of the warming up of the weather. No matter what awakens the insects, this phenomenon signifies to farmers that it is the time to begin rigorous ploughing as Jingzhe is followed by lots of rain, then sun, then the growing of plants. One may think that unless we live on a farm, the agricultural reminder does not seem to have much to do with our lives. But Jingzhe is actually a special time for us all.
It is a time for us to cultivate luck for the year. Why? Because this is the time for villain hitting, better known as ‘hitting the little man’. I wrote about the custom of hitting the little man a few years ago. Basically, it is an act which gets rid of one’s enemies, especially those who deliberately sabotage one’s career or personal development. It is believed that by hitting the little man, bad luck will go away. Also, to cultivate luck, the third term is a time for offering to the White Tiger. Although it is called the White Tiger, the animal in question is actually yellow with black strips. Legend has it that the White Tiger brings verbal conflicts amongst people which lead to bad luck, so as the insects and the White Tiger awaken each year, people offer pig fat to a paper tiger as offering to keep it away.
This is also a time to nurture our health. According to ancient Chinese belief, the Insects Awaken is the time that people get sick the easiest. I guess it also makes scientific sense that while insects awaken, bacteria also awaken. And with the temperature rapidly rising, our bodies may not adapt fast enough. Aside from physical health, mental health also needs to be nurtured at this time. I came across an article saying that Jingzhe is a time when depression rates are at their highest. This could be due to the weather, with thunderstorms and rain and gray sky for most of the time. On top of that, in this part of the world we also have to battle humidity. For those without a strong dehumidifier at home, everywhere is wet and sticky, which easily brings us into a bad mood. Aside from the temperature affecting our mental health during Insects Awaken, it could also be because of March. If you look at the annual public holiday list, March seems to be the only month with no holidays. While this is also true for July and August, most people take their summer vacation during these two months. But whether it is the weather or the lack of holiday to look forward to, according to ancient Chinese medical belief, during this period of time, we need to store up positive chi (energy) in our body. We need to first, prevent getting ourselves tired. Second, prevent getting angry and upset. Third, consume food that is good for the liver such as spinach, lettuce, or duck blood (although probably not the blood during fasting days). So, our practice during Jingzhe determines whether we have a lucky and healthy year.
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