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对生活在北京的Erik来说，一入九月，秋天就来啦。可算把夏天给熬过去了！但是Erik不知道，按我国的农历，早在几周前就立秋了。

For Erik, September means that summer is gone, autumn came. But what he doesn't know is that it is already been fall for a few weeks, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. 

同事告诉他上个月秋天就抵京了呢。立秋，我国农历二十四节气之一，标志着秋天的开始，今年是从8月7日到8月22日。二十四节气不仅是农民伯伯劳作歇息的一杆标尺，也是人们日常生活不可或缺的一部分。Erik很好奇，立秋有什么风俗习惯吗？

His colleague told him that last month marked li qiu, one of 24 ancient solar terms, which marks the start of autumn. This year, it started on Aug 7 and ended on Aug 22. These solar terms aren't only important to agriculture but also to daily life. Then Erik is curious about what people do during this time?

让Erik意想不到的是，同事竟然很认真地说…… “当然是吃啦！” 很多人都会在刚入夏和立秋时称称体重，如果夏天掉肉了，那就趁着冬天没到赶快补回来。

Out of his expectation, his colleague said Chinese people EAT during this time! Many people weigh themselves on the first day and compare it to the start of summer. If they've lost weight, they'll feast, especially on meat. 

“秋天吃肉”这一直白的表达被智慧的中国人冠以“贴秋膘”的雅号。“秋”代指四季中的“秋季”，“贴膘”则是为身体增加脂肪储备。

"Fleshing out in autumn" is called “贴秋膘” tiē qiū biāo.“秋” means autumn. And “贴膘” literally means to add fat to your body.

Erik猜立秋这会儿卖肘子的档口该排长队了。这段时间人们可是无肉不欢呐。

Erik understood the custom, and he guesses that the most popular dishes in Beijing during li qiu must be pork shoulders or anything with meat. 

可Erik又有问题了。要是称完体重发现夏天长肉了，该吃点啥好？

But here comes his second question, what if he gained, rather than lost weight in the summer? Then what should he eat? 

同事说要是这种情况就来点蔬菜水果吧。秋季天气转凉，风干物燥，多吃果蔬可以补充水分，有利健康，像苹果和梨就很好。

His colleague said fruits and veggies are suitable because autumn is drier than summer. So, products like apples and pears help keep him hydrated.  

让我们拥抱秋天，一起贴秋膘吧！