For thousands of years, farmers in East Asia have relied on solar terms, or the 24 points in the traditional solar calendar, to determine when to plant and harvest their crops. Solar terms also dictate many major religious festivals and important dates such as Tomb Sweeping Day.
South Village (南村落), an arts and culture center near Shida, will be marking the next four solar terms in March and April, which herald the coming of spring, with events featuring a mouth-watering selection of traditional snacks made from seasonal ingredients. The treats include fresh mantou sweetened with brown sugar and red beans, and pastries flavored with green tea, taro, yam and plum.
The first event is Thursday, which falls on the day before the two-week solar term known as “the awakening of the insects” (驚蟄). The spring equinox (春分) will be celebrated on March 20, Tomb Sweeping Day (清明節) on April 2, and the arrival of the “grain rain” (鼓雨) which helps crops grow, on April 20.
While South Village’s events are aimed at gourmets, the activities are intended to go beyond food tastings. The center, which regularly hosts dinners and cooking demonstrations in its combined gallery and kitchen space, hopes that highlighting the importance of the solar calendar will raise awareness about global warming.
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