It's the season when the leaves of the Chinese lizard's tail turn white.
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noun
11th day after the summer solstice; last seed-sowing and rice-planting day
A traditional marker in the old agricultural calendar, falling around early July. It was considered the deadline for planting rice and sowing certain seeds.
半夏生までに田植えを終わらせるのが昔の目安だった。
Finishing rice planting by the 11th day after the summer solstice was the old rule of thumb.
The 72 micro-seasons of the traditional Japanese calendar; 半夏生 is one of them.
Etymology
The name 半夏生 literally means 'half-summer birth/life', referring to the time around the middle of summer. The plant name likely derives from the calendar term, as its leaves turn white around that period.
