Grain Buds is the 8th solar term of a year. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 60° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 75°. However, the term “Grain Buds” more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 60°. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around May 21 and ends around June 5 (June 6 East Asia time). 

The meanings of the terms for the 23 other solar terms are fairly self-explanatory. “Grain Buds,” (from the Chinese “Xiaoman”) however, sounds confusing. It means that the seeds of fall grain are becoming full but not ripe yet. A farmers’ proverb in southern China says, “If there is not enough rainfall in Grain Buds, farmlands will be dry. ” Grain Buds is also a season for planting rice.