Awakening of Insects | Explore 24 solar terms along the Tropic of Cancer

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Awakening of Insects (Chinese: 惊蛰) falls on March 5 and ends on March 19 this year.

Awakening of Insects signals a rise in temperature and increased rainfall. As the third solar term in the lunar year, its name alludes to the fact that animals sleeping in winter are awakened by spring thunder and that the earth begins to come back to life. It is the key time for spring agricultural activities.

Common hibernating animals include reptiles and amphibians, such as snakes, frogs, and lizards. In ancient times, people burned wormwood to drive away snakes, insects and so on during the Awakening of Insects period.

Nowadays, we are calling for protecting nature, like we protect our health or our eyes. We have to understand nature first, then we will fall in love with it and want to protect it from the heart. In China, schools are attaching more and more importance to nature education. The aim is to arouse children's interests and love for nature.