Vernal equinox day (Chun Fen), day time shorter than night time in winter, and day time longer than night in summer, but the Chun Fen day means day and night time are same.

Customs – Play egg game, the egg game is interesting and easy enough. Pick a fresh egg, and try to set the egg stood on the table. In Japan, Chun Fen day is a holiday.

2011 Vernal Equinox day is on March 21st.
2012 Vernal Equinox day is on March 20nd.

Solar Term – clear and bright day

Clear and bright day (Qing Ming), this day means grass shoot forth and new leaves are growing out, and sunny day come, there usually clear and bright days.

Customs – Not writting

2011 Clear and Bright day is on April 5th.
2012 Clear and Bright day is on April 4th.

Solar Term – grain rain day

Grain rain day (Gu Yu), farmers start planting corn in these days. Good rain in these days, will be good harvest in the autumn.

Customs – Not writting

2011 Grain Rain day is on April 20th.
2012 Grain Rain day is on April 19th.

One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I silently sat down beside her and looked at her.

“Mom, I have a question to ask you,” I said after a while.

“What?” she replied, still doing her work.

“Is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very low voice.

My mother stopped her work and raised her head with surprise in her eyes. She didn’t answer immediately. Then she bowed her head and continued to sew the quilt.

I was very worried because I thought I had hurt her. I was in a great embarrassment and I didn’t know what I should do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words:

“Susan,” she said thoughtfully, “Look at this thread. Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable. If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime, but it’s really there. Love is inside.”

I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital, they both looked very pale. It seemed both of them had had a serious illness.

After they were back, every day in the morning and dusk, my mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road. My father had never been so gentle. It seemed they were the most harmonious couple. Along the country road, there were many beautiful flowers, green grass and trees. The sun gently glistened through the leaves. All of these made up the most beautiful picture in the world.

The doctor had said my father would recover in two months. But after two months he still couldn’t walk by himself. All of us were worried about him.

“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day.

“Susan, don’t worry about me.” he said gently. “To tell you the truth, I just like walking with your mom. I like this kind of life.” Reading his eyes, I know he loves my mother deeply.

Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses. But from this experience, I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm..