Crickets have a long history with the people of Asia, especially in China. It has long been believed that crickets represent intelligence and good luck. In fact, killing a cricket, especially when it’s inside your home, was said to bring misfortune. Even today, people enjoy caging crickets and keeping them as pets so they can listen to their chirping songs. Their ability to ‘sing’, their strength and vitality, and their majestic appearance make them very appealing. This fascination with crickets is nothing new. In fact, crickets have been revered in China for thousands of years.
It was in the Tang Dynasty, which ended in 618 AD, that crickets were first recognized and respected for their ability to ‘sing’. In the Song Dynasty, from 960 – 1278 AD, a new sport was invented called ‘cricket fighting’. The sport became so popular that China even appointed a cricket minister to oversee affairs. By the 1460s, the sport had earned a spot in the royal palace as a regular entertainment event. There are hundreds and hundreds of stories about men who killed themselves because their cricket lost its match or was injured. Eventually, Chinese farmers began using them to know when to prepare the fields for the spring harvest. It is said that I cricket can tell you what the temperature is in Fahrenheit. Most species of crickets chirp at a higher rate when the temperature is higher. You can calculate the degrees in Fahrenheit by adding 39 to the number of chirps produced in 15 seconds.
With most insects, we can’t wait to squish them. Crickets have some sort of power over human beings. We love their chirping songs, we love their gentle nature, and, of course, we love that they pose no real threat to us. They don’t bite or sting or even cause allergic reactions. It’s no wonder people feel are comfortable around crickets.