Lixia 立夏, Start of Summer: the first Fire month

Lixia (立夏, Ipha in Korean), the Start of Summer, is the seventh solar term. At solar longitude 45 degrees it opens the Snake (巳) month, the first of the three Fire months in the tradition's calendar.

Dates and the month it opens

Lixia fell on 5 May 2026 at 20:49 Korea time - in the evening of Korea's Children's Day that year. In 2027 it comes at 02:25 on 6 May, so once more a late-evening moment has slipped past midnight into the next date.

As a jie term it starts the Snake month. In the Fire year 丙午 (2026) the Five Tigers rule gives 癸巳; in 2027, a 丁 year, it gives 乙巳. The branch 巳 is yin Fire by element, with hidden stems 戊 for 7 days, 庚 for 7 and 丙 for 16. The tradition reads it as summer Fire rising while a trace of Earth and even Metal is already stored inside - a reminder that every season carries the seed of later ones.

Start of Summer at a glance: 2026 and 2027
Item	2026	2027
Moment (KST)	2026-05-05 20:49	2027-05-06 02:25
Sun longitude	45°	45°
Kind	jie (節) - opens a month	jie (節) - opens a month
Year pillar in force	丙午	丁未
Month pillar it opens	癸巳	乙巳
Hidden stems of 巳 (days)	戊 7d · 庚 7d · 丙 16d	戊 7d · 庚 7d · 丙 16d
Length of this month (to Grain in Ear 芒種)	31 d 3 h 59 min	31 d 4 h 1 min
Time to Grain Buds 小滿	15 d 12 h 48 min	15 d 12 h 53 min
Shift from 2026 to 2027	-	365 d 5 h 36 min

What the name means

Just as with Lichun, 立 means "to establish". 夏 is summer, and the character itself was also used for "great" or "grand". Lixia does not mean the heat has come; it means summer's frame has been set up. In the spring half of the year, Wood led; from here the tradition sees Fire in charge, with long days, strong growth and outward energy.

What changes in nature

Early May in Korea is one of the most comfortable times of the year: clear, warm days, fresh deep-green hills, and fields where barley heads are forming. White blossoms of the ipap tree cover streets in the south. The almanac's pentads turn to small creatures of warm soil: mole crickets chirp, earthworms come out, and the snake gourd vine begins to grow.

螻蟈鳴 - mole crickets start to sing
蚯蚓出 - earthworms come out
王瓜生 - the snake gourd begins to grow

Seasonal foods

Fresh green peas are shelled and cooked into rice around now, and crown daisy (ssukgat) and young lettuce fill the table. Early tomatoes begin to arrive; a quick tomato and egg stir-fry is an easy early-summer dish. The tradition connects Fire with red colours and a slightly bitter taste, so a few red vegetables and bitter leaves are seen as fitting the season.

Gentle habits for longer days

The Huangdi Neijing says that in summer one may "lie down at night and rise early, and not tire of the sun" - accept the long days rather than fight them. In everyday terms: rise with the early light, spend some time outdoors while the heat is still mild, drink water through the day, and take a short rest after lunch if the afternoon feels long. Lighter clothes and fresh air in the bedroom help the evenings.

Korean customs

Farmers traditionally saw Ipha as the busiest turn of the year: seedbeds are watched closely and rice transplanting is close. A popular story says the ipap tree (이팝나무) took its name from Ipha, because it blooms around this term; another says its white flowers look like a bowl of rice. Either way, it is a well-loved sign of early summer.

A classical line for the season

小荷才露尖尖角，早有蜻蜓立上頭。

The little lotus leaf has just shown its sharp tip, and already a dragonfly stands upon it.

Yang Wanli, "The Little Pond (小池)"

Questions

What month pillar starts at Lixia?

The Snake (巳) month: 癸巳 in 2026 and 乙巳 in 2027.

Why is the 2027 date 6 May?

The 2026 moment was 20:49. One year later it comes 5 hours and 36 minutes later, at 02:25 on 6 May.

How long is the Snake month?

From Lixia to Mangzhong: 31 days, 3 hours and 59 minutes in 2026, and 31 days, 4 hours and 1 minute in 2027 - longer than the spring months.

Is Lixia hot already?

Usually not in Korea. It marks the start of summer in the calendar; real heat arrives later, around Xiaoshu and Dashu.

Recipes for this season

Abalone Rice Porridge (Jeonbokjuk) and the Water ElementKorean abalone porridge in 40 minutes: 2 abalone, 1 cup of rice, 6 cups of water. Why the tradition reads it as an even, all-season Water dish.Garlic Chive Pancake (Buchujeon): a Spring Wood DishCrisp garlic chive pancake in 20 minutes with 1 cup of pancake mix and 1 egg. A warm Wood dish the tradition pairs with spring and summer.Chilled Cucumber Seaweed Soup and Black Bean RiceA 15-minute chilled seaweed and cucumber soup with black bean rice: a cool, Water-element summer meal and how the five-element tradition reads it.Braised Tofu with Kelp: a Water and Earth Side DishTofu braised in kelp broth and soy sauce in 20 minutes. An even, year-round side dish the tradition reads as Water and Earth together.Mung Bean Porridge (Nokdu-juk): a Cool Summer BowlKorean mung bean porridge in 50 minutes: hulled mung beans simmered 30 minutes, then rice for 20 more. Why the tradition reads it as cool.Sweet Potato and Corn Rice: an Everyday Earth BowlRice cooked with cubed sweet potato and corn kernels in 35 minutes. A yellow, gently sweet Earth dish that the tradition reads as even.