● "Liqiu" or "start of autumn" falls on Aug. 7 this year according to Chinese lunar calendar

● On that day, Chinese eat meat and vegetables to take in nutrition for the coming winter

● This custom, popular in northern China, is called "Tie Qiu Biao" and "Yao Qiu"

In China, Liqiu, meaning "the start of autumn," falls on August 7th this year. As the name suggests, it traditionally foretells the end of the summer heat.

For people in northern China it's also a time for the customs of "Tie Qiu Biao" and "Yao Qiu". You might understand the meaning of all these words, but it's all about eating meat, vegetables and fruit to gain weight for the coming winter. For Chinese families, food and fall go hand-in-hand. Liqui starts with senior members of the family - who put out a bowl of cereals in prayer for the autumn harvest. But that's not the tasty part.

Families traditionally gather to prepare a meal of Jiaozi, or dumplings, for the event. The filling is usually a rich and heavy mixture of meat and vegetables.

In some areas of China, family members will steal the dumplings from others' bowls - believing the more they grab, the healthier they will be in the coming autumn.