How to Read “Heat and cold last only until the equinox”
Atsusa samusa mo higan made
Meaning of “Heat and cold last only until the equinox”
This proverb means that harsh heat and cold ease up around the time of the equinox. No matter how unbearable the heat continues, it becomes cool after the autumn equinox.
No matter how severe the cold continues, it becomes warm after the spring equinox. The saying expresses the changing of the seasons.
Even today, people use this phrase during sweltering September days or freezing March weather. They express hope that “comfortable weather is coming soon.”
The proverb isn’t just about climate. It’s also used for difficult situations and hard times. People use it with encouragement: “Things are tough now, but this will surely end.”
People use this proverb to show that nature follows a reliable rhythm. Even heat and cold beyond human control will change when the time comes.
This certainty gives people peace of mind and hope.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb likely emerged from the connection between Japanese seasonal awareness and Buddhist observances.
“Higan” refers to a Buddhist observance lasting seven days total. It centers on the spring and autumn equinoxes, with three days before and after each.
Spring higan falls in late March, and autumn higan in late September. During these periods, day and night are nearly equal in length. They mark major turning points in the seasons.
Japanese people have long known from experience that the climate changes dramatically around higan. Summer’s harsh heat eases after the autumn equinox.
Winter’s severe cold softens after the spring equinox. This natural phenomenon coincided with the timing of Buddhist observances.
The word “higan” became established as a marker for seasonal transitions.
In times when life centered on agriculture, accurately tracking seasonal changes was extremely important. Having a clear marker like higan allowed people to hold onto hope.
They could tell themselves, “Just a little more patience.” This proverb contains the wisdom of Japanese people who read nature’s rhythms and lived in harmony with them.
Interesting Facts
During higan, the sun rises due east and sets due west. In Buddhism, this makes it the ideal time to worship the Pure Land.
The Pure Land is said to lie in the west. This astronomical phenomenon combined with Buddhist thought made higan a specially valued period.
Meteorologically speaking, the Pacific high-pressure system weakens around the autumn equinox. Cold air from the continent eases around the spring equinox.
These actual climate change points match the timing of higan. People in the past accurately identified seasonal turning points through years of observation, even without scientific knowledge.
Usage Examples
- Hot days continue even into September, but heat and cold last only until the equinox, so just a bit more patience
- It’s so cold even though it’s March, but heat and cold last only until the equinox, so it should feel like spring around next week
Universal Wisdom
The proverb “Heat and cold last only until the equinox” contains deep wisdom that humans have gained through facing nature.
We humans are creatures who, when facing immediate suffering, feel like it will last forever. In extreme heat, we can’t imagine cool days coming.
In harsh winter, we can’t believe in spring’s warmth. Our present sensations cloud our view of the future.
But nature continues changing in a reliable rhythm, regardless of human emotions. No matter how hot it gets, autumn comes.
No matter how cold it gets, spring arrives. Our ancestors observed this absolute law for thousands of years.
By pointing to the concrete marker of “higan,” they tried to give hope to people in the midst of suffering.
This proverb has been passed down for so long because it’s not just about climate. It shows a universal truth: all difficulties in life must eventually end.
No matter how painful the present is, time flows and situations change. Believing in this certainty has given humans the strength to overcome difficulties.
By learning from nature’s rhythms, we can understand life’s rhythms too. That’s the deep human understanding contained in this proverb.
When AI Hears This
Solar energy input is already heading toward its peak at the spring equinox. So why do we continue feeling heat and cold until around higan?
The key to solving this mystery is “thermal lag effect.”
Earth’s surface, especially the oceans, works like a giant heat storage bank. Around the summer solstice, the most energy pours down from the sun.
But that energy takes time to warm the ground and seawater. It’s like boiling water in a kettle. The water doesn’t boil immediately after you turn on the heat.
On a planetary scale, this delay extends to about one to one and a half months. In fact, Japan’s peak high temperature comes in early August.
The peak low temperature comes in late January. Each is about one and a half months after the summer and winter solstices.
What’s more interesting is that this lag time varies by location. Areas surrounded by ocean have greater delays than inland areas.
This is because water’s heat capacity is about four times larger than soil or rock. In other words, oceans function as massive energy storage facilities that warm slowly and cool slowly.
This lag phenomenon applies not just to climate but to economic cycles and organizational culture change too. Even when you inject energy, there’s always a time lag before the entire system responds.
The roughly one-month grace period of higan tells the story of nature’s enormous inertia.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people how to hold onto hope: “No suffering lasts forever.”
In modern society, we face various difficulties. Work stress, relationship troubles, financial anxiety. At such times, we feel crushed by immediate suffering.
We’re seized by anxiety that “this situation might continue forever.” But just as nature always changes, life situations always change too.
What matters is having a sense of “when change will come.” If you can find your own modern “higan,” you can find meaning in your current efforts.
Project deadlines, exam periods, busy seasons. When you can see the goal, people can demonstrate surprising strength.
This proverb also teaches the value of “waiting.” Precisely because modern times demand immediate results, we need an attitude that learns from nature’s rhythms.
We need to believe in the time of change and wait. Without rushing, but with hope. That’s the wisdom for overcoming difficulties.
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