劳动迎立夏，时节绽新荣——二十四节气·立夏 24 Solar Terms · LiXia

立夏是二十四节气中的第七个节气，也是夏季的起始，每年公历5月5日至7日交节，太阳到达黄经45°时开始。其名源于“万物至此皆长大”，寓意春天播种的植物已茁壮成长，正式告别春季，迎来夏季。立夏后，日照增长、气温升高、雷雨增多，农作物进入生长旺季，故有“立夏看夏”的农谚，预示夏收作物的年景基本定局。

Lixia, the seventh of the 24 Solar Terms, marks the official arrival of summer. It falls annually between May 5 and 7 on the Gregorian calendar, when the Sun reaches 45° of celestial longitude. The term Lixia (立夏), meaning "the beginning of summer," derives from the ancient phrase “all things reach maturity by this time.” It signifies the transition from tender spring seedlings to vigorous summer growth—bidding farewell to spring and ushering in a new, more intense season. After Lixia, longer daylight hours, rising temperatures, and more frequent thunderstorms accelerate the development of crops. This critical agricultural phase is echoed in the traditional saying: “Observe summer at Lixia,” highlighting its importance in forecasting the summer harvest.

立夏的礼俗可追溯至周代，帝王率百官穿朱色礼服至南郊“迎夏”，祈求丰收。汉代延续此俗，并融入劝农耕作的内容。古人认为立夏是“阳气渐长”的转折点，万物随天地之气升腾而繁茂，故称“春尽日”。唐代《月令七十二候集解》记载：“立，建始也；夏，假也，物至此时皆假大也”，强调其作为夏季开端的自然意义。

Lixia rituals trace back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE), when emperors led officials in vermilion robes to southern suburbs for “summer welcoming” ceremonies to pray for abundant harvests. The Han Dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE) preserved this tradition while integrating agricultural encouragement. Ancient Chinese viewed Lixia as a pivotal moment of “rising yang energy,” where all life flourishes with the ascending vitality of heaven and earth, hence its poetic name “Spring’s End”. The Tang Dynasty text Monthly Ordinances and Seventy-Two Phenological Terms states: “Li signifies commencement; Xia (summer) denotes expansion, as all things reach full growth by this phase,” highlighting its natural significance as summer’s threshold.