Why do people dress randomly in the second month of the lunar calendar? Spring clothing guide →

Whenever the seasons change, people's dressing styles always enter a state of mutual misunderstanding. Passers-by on the street may have one wearing short-sleeved shirts and shorts, while the other is still wearing a thick down jacket. In the same weather temperature, some people feel cold and refuse to take off their winter clothes; others feel hot and wear light clothes early. There is also a folk saying "dress randomly in February and August", which means that in February and August of the lunar calendar, everyone's clothes are unique.

Of course, what you wear is more or less a personal choice, but did you know that there are actually a lot of little secrets behind the random dressing in spring?

Why do some people feel cold while others feel hot?

Under the same temperature conditions, people choose different clothes because they perceive temperature differently. The fact is that we do not feel the temperature directly. When we feel cold, this feeling is caused by the temperature on the surface of the skin. The skin senses temperature through thermoreceptors, which are a special type of ion channels that exist in the skin, mucous membranes, internal organs and hypothalamus, and can sense cold, cool, warm and hot.

The main factors that affect the difference in perceived temperature between people are body fat percentage (body fat rate) and surface area to mass ratio. The higher the body fat rate, the more fat in the body, and the more heat the body stores. Also, at the same weight, the larger the surface area, the larger the skin surface area, the more heat radiates outward, and the better the heat dissipation.

In addition, people with higher basal metabolism need to dissipate more heat than those with lower basal metabolism. When the outside temperature rises, heat dissipation is hindered, making it easier for them to feel hot. This is why people with high body weight, including obese people and those with high muscle mass, are more afraid of heat. At the same time, some disease manifestations may also affect the perceived temperature. Therefore, in life, even if we are in the same space, everyone's perception of temperature is different.

Why do we dress randomly in spring?

There are also meteorological reasons for people to dress randomly in spring. As the season with the most unpredictable temperature changes among the four seasons, spring often gives us some surprises. The day before was sunny and warm; the next day it was cold and rainy. my country's spring and autumn have the most dramatic temperature changes at the same latitude in the world. Every spring, starting in March, the warm air mass begins to counterattack and the cold air weakens. At the same time, the highest temperature during the day rises quickly, and the lowest temperature at night rises slowly. Therefore, the temperature difference between day and night in spring is very large, and the occasional cold air also catches people off guard. The temperature fluctuates greatly, so there are all kinds of clothes in this season.

The ancient saying of keeping warm in spring and cold in autumn is not without reason.

It is precisely because of the characteristics of spring weather changes and the large temperature difference between day and night. The ancients have always believed that "covering in spring and keeping cold in autumn will prevent diseases". Of course, from the perspective of health science, "covering" is necessary. The temperature in nature changes dramatically in spring. Taking the observatory in the Beijing plain area as an example, the extreme maximum temperature in spring has reached 41.1℃, which occurred on May 29, 2014; and the extreme minimum temperature is also shocking, with a minimum value of -15℃ on March 3, 1971. In addition, the daily temperature difference also has an extreme value. The maximum and minimum temperatures on May 3, 1966 differed by 26.8℃.

The weather in spring is always unpredictable. At the same time, such changes also lead to a large temperature difference between indoors and outdoors, and many people feel that "it is colder inside than outside". The so-called "covering in spring" means that people should not take off thick clothes too early, because they don't know when it will get cold again. "Freezing in autumn" is similar. The temperature drops quickly in nature, but it is not suitable to add a lot of clothes too early to allow the body to be cold-resistant and strengthen its physique. In other words, "covering in spring and freezing in autumn" is a kind of life experience of people, which has a certain scientific basis, but we should not blindly follow it.

Spring Dressing Guide

So, when the seasons change and the temperature fluctuates significantly in spring, how should we dress? Let us learn the key points of spring dressing.

1. Onion-style layering

The temperature difference between day and night is large in spring, and it still feels a little cold in the morning and evening. Therefore, you can adopt the onion-style multi-layer dressing method, which allows you to add or remove clothes at any time according to the temperature and environment.

2. “Thin on top, thick on bottom” dressing method

According to TCM theory, clothes should be “thin on the top and thick on the bottom” in spring, because the lower body is farther from the heart, blood circulation is worse than the upper body, and it is more susceptible to cold. In spring, you should pay attention to your clothes, focusing on the back, abdomen, and soles of the feet. Keeping the back warm can prevent diseases and reduce the chance of colds; keeping the abdomen warm protects the stomach and intestines, preventing indigestion and diarrhea. “Cold starts from the feet”, the nerve endings in the feet are rich and sensitive, and keeping warm can help the body adapt to climate change. In spring, you should pay attention to both ends, taking care of your head, neck, and feet.

3. Flexible dressing method

People of different ages have different clothes to wear in spring. The elderly and children are both groups that need attention. Parents can add clothes to their children one or two days before the cold air comes, and add or remove clothes in time when the temperature difference between morning and evening is large. With the increase of age, the body resistance of the elderly weakens, the body temperature regulation function decreases, the sweat glands of the skin atrophy, and they are afraid of cold in winter and heat in summer. Therefore, choose warm, light, soft and wide clothes when dressing. At the same time, pay special attention to the insulation of important parts of the body, protect the back and upper arms of the upper body, and pay attention to the warmth of the abdomen, waist and thighs of the lower body.

So, while we look forward to the arrival of spring and the blooming of flowers, we should not forget the "self-willed" climate characteristics of spring. Keep a good guide to dressing in spring to avoid catching a cold.