"Grain Buds", the eighth of the twenty-four solar terms, is also the second in summer. The name has two meanings. First, it is related to precipitation. During the Grain Buds period, heavy rainfall in the southern China begins to increase, and rainy weather is frequent. Second, it is related to agricultural wheat. In the northern China, there is little or no rainfall around Grain Buds. It means that the seeds from the grain are becoming full but are not ripe. There are several customs.

Offering Sacrifice to the Carts

In the agricultural proverb of the southern China, the solar term refers to precipitation among the three major elements of climate, sunshine, precipitation, and temperature. It is said that "three kinds of carts are used" in Grain Buds, namely, waterwheel, oil pressing cart and silk spinning cart. At this time, the crops in the fields need plenty of water, and the farmers are busy treading waterwheels. In the old days, waterwheel irrigation was a major event in rural areas, which was started in the solar term.

Offering Sacrifice to the God of Silkworm  

Grain Buds is believed to be the birthday of the silkworm god, so there is a silkworm festival in Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province during the solar term. Chinese farming culture is typical of "men tilling and women weaving". The raw materials of weaving are mainly cotton in the north while silk in the south. Silk needs to be obtained by raising silkworms, so sericulture is extremely prosperous in rural areas of southern China, especially in Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province.

Eating Wild Vegetables and Sowthistle Herb

Eating wild vegetables and sowthistle herb is also one of the Grain Buds's customs. Sowthistle herb is one of the earliest wild vegetables consumed by Chinese people. In ancient times, there was a folk custom of using it to reduce inflammation.