Awakening of Insects

Awakening of Insects, or Jingzhe, is the third of the 24 solar terms. With the thunder rumbling and temperatures rising, Awakening of Insects marks the awakening of all creatures after hibernation.

A Chinese proverb describes the days after Awakening of Insects as the “three phenological phenomena” — first, the peach blossoms begin to bloom; second, the orioles start to sing; third, the hawks transform into turtledoves.

Eating pears and fried insects
In many areas of China, there is a tradition of eating pears during the Awakening of Insects.
It is said that this tradition comes from family of businessmen named Qu in Shanxi Province. In the Qing Dynasty, a member of this family named Qu Baichuan left home and startedhis own business. His father handed him a pear and told him the story of a Qu ancestor who had launched his first business by trading pears. By eating the pear, he would be reminded of the past and inspired to carve out his own path to greatness.Qu Baichuan went on to succeed, and the tradition of eating pears on the Awakening of Insects spread among many other businessmen.
Eating fried “insects” as a way to ward off pestilence is another tradition in some regions. Rather than consuming actual insects, people traditionally fry beans, wheat, or rice on this day and eat these foods instead.

Beat the 'despicable men'
This tradition involves striking not a real person, but a small paper figure that symbolizes obstacles to a family's fortune.
The custome originated from the tradition of expelling insects, rats, ants, and snakes that usually emerge during the Awakening of Insects. Traditionally, people would burn herbs such as moxa and spread the smoke throughout every corner of the house to drive away unwanted animals and musty smells. With the passage of time, the ritual of beating paper effigies has become a necessary step to drive away "bad luck"

Worshiping the 'tiger'
In some areas of China, the mythical white tiger is considered as the god of argument. It also appears on the Awakening of Insects, causing controversy and quarrels. In order to protect themselves, people will make a paper tiger on the day. While worshiping it, people will put pig's blood and raw pork on the paper tiger's mouth to keep it busy eating, rather than causing troubles.