Airing the Classics

Also known as the Double Sixth, because it occurs on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, Airing the Classics is a minor Buddhist observance adhered to in some Buddhist centers in China. It is based on a disaster that overtook a shipment of Buddhist scriptures on their journey from India to China. The boat carrying the texts was overturned, and all the books had to be spread out to dry.

Through the centuries, it became the practice on this day (which is in the middle of summer) for monasteries to remove their library books from the shelves and examine them for any mold or insect damage. This practice has been largely neglected in the modern world of air conditioning and humidity control.

References
Burkhardt, V. R. Chinese Creeds and Customs. Hong Kong: South China Morning Post, 1982.