Summer Solstice 2025: How to celebrate Summer Solstice?

Summer Solstice (夏至, Xiazhi in Chinese) is the 10th of China’s 24 solar terms, whose coming means the beginning of the longest day of the Northern Hemisphere, on which the sun rises to the highest point in the sky. Yang energy enters the peak period. After that day, the nights will gradually become longer, and the days will shorten.

The Chinese solar calendar divides the whole year into traditional 24 solar terms, and the Summer Solstice usually comes on June 21 or 22. Summer Solstice 2025 will come on June 21, Friday. And the next Summer Solstice will fall on June 21, Saturday, 2026. Scroll and learn more about how the Chinese celebrate the Summer Solstice.

What Is the Chinese Summer Solstice?

When the sun reaches its highest point, which forms a 90-degree angle with the ecliptic, the summer solstice comes. As one of the most important Chinese summer festivals, it ranks 10th among the 24 Solar Terms systems. Unlikely some other traditional festivals based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, it depends on the Gregorian calendar and will fall on the 21st day of the 6th solar month this year, 2025.

After previous solar terms pass by, the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere embraces the most daylight hours and the gradual increase in temperature. And the hottest temperature will come after in 20 or 30 days. The daytime in Mohe in Heilongjiang province lasts nearly 20 hours. The morning comes at 2:30 am. And the night falls at 9 or 10 pm. That is the reason why Mohe is also named The City that Never Sleeps. On that day, it is the best time to see the Northern lights in the northernmost tip of China. Therefore, the Summer Solstice is known as the Aurora Festival in the county.

In Chinese culture, 24 solar term systems were originally created to provide guidance for agricultural production. For now, it is closely associated with health care. Throughout the ages, a lot of art or literary works regarding solar terms have been created to reveal the relationship between humans and nature.

When Is Summer Solstice 2025 in China?

Summer Solstice will come on June 21, 2025, and ends on July 5, which lasts 15 days. There are no public holidays. The table below offers the recent dates of the Summer Solstice.

Year Date of Summer Solstice Day 2023 June 21 Wednesday 2024 June 21 Friday 2025 June 21 Saturday 2026 June 21 or June 22 Sunday or Monday 2027 June 21 Monday 2028 June 21 Wednesday

How Do the Chinese Celebrate Summer Solstice?

In Ancient Times

1. Ancient Rituals and Festivals
Not only was the Summer Solstice a significant Chinese festival in ancient times, especially in the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD), but also public holidays existed during the ancient period.

In the Han Dynasty, officials would have one day off to avoid the heat. At that time, the Double Ninth Festivals and Mid-autumn Festival were not as important as it is now. There were diverse summer solstice celebrations. It was a custom to send sacrificial offerings to the ancestral temples to worship ancestors. In addition to that, women exchanged fans and spice sachets with each other to help them cool down and drive mosquitoes away.

In the Song Dynasty (960-1276 AD), folks ate noodles and wheat dumplings on this special day. Besides, officials would receive many heat relief items, like some refreshing drinks.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), ice awarding was popular. During the Summer Solstice, the Imperial Court distributed ice cubes to officials, stored from the last winter, which was considered a solicitude. At the same time, folks would not go outside to escape the summer heat.

In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD), the Summer Solstice was celebrated through eating lychees. Locals believed that eating lychees on that day was good for health. Literary people would join some poetic or drink gatherings to spend the summer.

2. Eating Noodles
As mentioned above, it was a custom to eat noodles on the Summer Solstice. An old saying goes like this: "Eat noodles on solstice, dumplings on winter’s day.", which comes from the Song Dynasty. That is because new wheat will be harvested during the period. On one hand, eating noodles means trying something new. On the other hand, humans tend to lose their appetite in summer, and plain noodles are suitable for the body to digest, especially in the hottest time of the year. And there are various kinds of noodles existing.

There are also other regional specialties in summer. For example, locals in Shandong eat cold noodles to refresh. Beijing natives prefer lettuce wraps. Vegetables are particularly light and delicate in summer. Compared with flour food, locals in Yunnan tend to have mushroom feasts to spend the summer.

3. Regional Celebrations
Summer Solstice rituals vary in different regions. In Shaoxing, it is famous for dragon boat races with a history of over 500 years. It was said that the racing was held to commemorate an obliging general. To express thanks, folks paddle dragon boats on the river every year to pass the spirit down.

The Yi ethnic group will hold the "Sun Turnaround" ritual in Yunnan’s Mojiang County. Local people worship the Sun God to pray for better crops and less disease.

In Modern China

Compared with ancient times, the summer solstice is not formally celebrated in modern China. In some regions of China, dragon boat racing may be held just like in the Dragon Boat Festival. But It is more related to health and food now.

Chinese Summer Solstice Food

In traditional Chinese culture, yin, negative energy, and yang, positive energy, are big parts. When entering the Summer Solstice, the yang energy embraces a peak period. It is easy to get ablaze for the human body. Therefore, people tend to eat some refreshing food to reduce heat.

Summer Solstice Noodles

Summer solstice noodles are popular and are divided into many kinds of dishes. Cold noodles are the most typical of all kinds of noodles, usually made of sesame oil, some pickles, julienned carrots, and cucumbers. Little drips of vinegar may go in noodles, which taste more light and help people keep their appetite.

Summer Solstice Eggs

Summer solstice eggs are usually made into a kind of sweet soup, composed of boiled and peeled eggs and jujube soup, which is a custom to have the soup during the summer solstice period in Hunan province.

Pea Cake

If traveling or living in Nanjing, you will find many elders making pea cakes in summer to give to their juniors, which taste sweet and are exactly suited to kids’ tastes. Except for that, it can help our bodies to resist heat as well.

Ching Bo Leung

Ching bo Leung is also called Qingbuliang soup in Chinese, whose ingredients differ from place to place, mainly including mung beans, red beans, pearl barley, peanuts, Chinese dates, coconut, etc. Various kinds of fruits can be added to the drink, according to everyone’s preference. It can be frequently seen in Canton or Guangxi provinces.

Summer Solstice TCM Wellness Suggestions

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been throughout Chinese history and plays an important role in modern society. It is believed that doing different things in certain seasons or terms can maintain health. Here are some traditional guidelines and fun things to do on Summer Solstice.

Sleep Patterns

Contrary to normal cognition, folks are advised to sleep late and get up early. But 7 or 8 hours of sleeping is necessary. Do not stay up, especially for youngsters, or lack of sleep may contribute to yang energy consumption. Taking a 30-minute afternoon nap can help us restore the body.

Exercises

Summer Solstice is the time, having the most yang energy out of the entire year. Most people tend to be excitable and irritable, during which they can control their emotions and keep them calm through reading, or listening to music.

It is not recommended to spend too much time on outdoor activities, especially in the hottest hours of the day, in case of heating stroke. But doing some moderate exercises like jogging, walking, tai chi, or yoga in the morning or evening is advised.

Food

People sweat a lot, especially during the summer solstice period of the year, and most of them are prone to indigestion. Therefore, light or digestible dishes, like vegetables, fruits, mung beans, bitter gourd, and roughage, can be a perfect choice, which can beat the heat in our bodies.

FAQs about the Summer Solstice

1. Is the summer solstice a public holiday in China?
No. But it was a public holiday in the Han Dynasty. Officials would have a day off.

2. How does the Chinese lunisolar calendar track solstices?
The summer solstice usually comes around mid-to-late May in the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Besides, ancient people would confirm its coming through antlers’ falling, the hum of cicadas, and banxia’s, Pinellia ternate, (Chinese medicine) growing.

3. Are solstice rituals tied to Taoism or Buddhism?
Summer Solstice rituals are related to Taoism, which is considered the birthday of Lingbao Tianzun in Taoism. On that day, some celebrations will be held, like chanting, and blessing to commemorate him.

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