How long are the Dog Days? The Dog Days are the thirty or forty hottest days in the middle of the year in the central region. The Dog Days are calculated according to the lunar calendar and are roughly between the middle of July and the middle of August in the Gregorian calendar. The time when the Dog Days start each year is not fixed, and the length of the middle Dog Days varies.

The Dog Days are counted from the third Jia ri (a traditional Chinese unit of time) after the Minor Heat to the beginning of the Dog Days, from the fourth to the fifth Jia ri for the middle Dog Days, and from the first to the second Jia ri after the Beginning of Autumn for the end of the Dog Days. (Each Jia ri interval is 10 days.) The duration of the middle Dog Days is not fixed. When there are 4 Jia ri between the Minor Heat and the Cold Dew, the middle Dog Days are 10 days, and when there are 5 Jia ri, the middle Dog Days are 20 days.

It is important to pay attention to diet during the Dog Days, with a focus on light flavors. In hot weather, we may have little appetite and prefer cold foods. However, be careful not to eat too many cold foods and frozen foods, as they can put a great strain on the gastrointestinal tract. Especially, girls during their menstrual period should not eat cold foods. Try to eat more vegetables and fruits to supplement the body’s need for various nutrients. You can eat some greasy and smelly foods, but not too much. Moreover, even if you have no appetite in summer, you should eat three meals on time and in the right amount, and remember not to overeat or over-drink.

It is important to be aware of high temperatures and heat prevention during the Dog Days. Although the Dog Days are very hot, there is no need to stay in an air-conditioned room all the time, otherwise, the temperature difference can be very harmful to the body, and it may even continue to trigger heat stroke. Friends with weak physical fitness not only need to avoid heatstroke but also be careful of the invasion of various diseases. Once you feel unwell, you should go to the hospital immediately. It is best to prepare some common medicine at home, so that you can carry out emergency treatment as soon as possible in case of heatstroke. Maintain good ventilation and cleanliness at home, otherwise, high temperatures are very easy to breed bacteria, causing unnecessary inconvenience.