Students paint boiled eggs to mark lixia, or the start of summer, at a primary school in Nantong, East China’s Jiangsu province, on May 6. [Photo/IC]

Lixia, or “Start of Summer”, is the seventh solar term in the Chinese lunar calendar. It falls on May 6 this year.

Schools in Nantong, East China’s Jiangsu province, held a series of traditional activities to celebrate the special day and teach children about its origin and related customs.

One tradition is for parents to put boiled eggs in knitted bags and hang them on their childrens’ chests, which is believed to prevent them from contracting summer diseases.

Children also participate in egg-related competitions at school. One such competition consists of two students knocking their eggs together. The person whose egg breaks first loses.

Children also draw on eggs, and balance them upright, which is believed to bring good luck.