Traditional “Start-of-Summer” Customs Enter the Classroom

“Color-cord bracelets,” “egg-bumping” and “weighing”—on 29 April volunteers from Pingqiao Community, Yuehu Sub-district, Haishu District, visited Ningbo Municipal Government No. 1 Kindergarten to give the children a hands-on lesson in Beginning-of-Summer folk customs.

During the bracelet-making session, the youngsters wove five-colored threads into wristlets under the guidance of volunteers and teachers. The little “Start-of-Summer” cords, symbols of health and safety, let the children enjoy traditional handicraft while carrying elders’ wishes that they “stay cool, avoid illness and grow up strong.”

In the egg-bumping game, each child pitted a personal “egg champion” against a classmate’s to see whose shell was toughest, the cheers rising and falling across the playground. Volunteer “Aunt Ye” explained that the custom dates back to ancient farming culture—breaking the shell heralds new life and conveys hopes of sturdy bodies.

At the traditional weighing station, children took turns sitting in a bamboo basket while three volunteers used a beam scale to weigh them, pronouncing auspicious sayings so the youngsters could grasp the cultural idea of “weighing in blessings.”

“Bringing folk activities onto campus makes cultural heritage far more vivid,” the event organizer said.