On Chunfen day and night are equally divided into twelve hours. During this time the entire family worked together in order to stop sparrows from stealing the crops. The mother cooked glutinous rice balls, while the father brought home bamboo poles. Then it was the children's turn to hang the glutinous balls on top of the bamboo poles and carry them out into the fields. They were called " sticky bird mouth" because they would stuff the mouths of hungry sparrows and keep them from damaging the crops.
After this task was done the children met up with their friends to cook together in an empty field near the river. They would bring pots and build a fireplace. Some friends would go fishing while others collected wild vegetables. All of the ingredients were thrown into a pot and then eaten together.
Chunfen also symbolizes equality and justice. The emperor proclaimed that on this day all metric tools should be recalibrated. Craftsmen who made scales often started work on the day of recalibration to show to customers that they were determined to do business honestly.