ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Solar term

Solar term is like the calendar that farmers in ancient China used to know when to plant and harvest crops. It tells us when important seasons like spring, summer, autumn, and winter start and end.

It works like this: the sun's position in the sky changes throughout the year. We call these changes "solar terms." They're like signposts on a road that tell us how far we've come and how far we still have to go.

There are 24 solar terms each year, and they're usually about two weeks apart. Each one has a cool name that helps us remember it, like "spring equinox" or "frost's descent."

So if you're a farmer and you want to know when to plant your rice, you look up the solar term for "start of spring." Then you know it's time to start planting your rice.

Solar terms help us stay on track with the changing seasons, like following a roadmap to our destination. They remind us to take care of things like planting, harvesting, and stockpiling food before winter comes.
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