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Title: Lesson on Chinese Culture - Chinese Calendar
The solar terms are based on the solar calendar, determined by the ecliptic longitude of the sun. Spring Equinox or Chun Fen (春分)is when the sun is at an ecliptic longitude of 0° exactly. This day has equal lengths of day and night. However, this is NOT the first of the solar term. The first solar term is Li Chun (立春) when spring begins.
Each solar term varies by 15˚. In each month there are often two solar terms; the first one is major solar term named Jie Qi (节气) same as the collective term used, and the other is the minor solar term Zhong Qi (中气).
The following are the solar terms:
The traditional Chinese calendar does not count years in an infinite sequence. Each year is assigned a name consisting of two components within each 60-year cycle. The first component is a celestial stem called Tian Gan (天干), and the second component is a terrestrial branch called Di Zhi (地支). There are ten Tian Gan and twelve Di Zhi, and each Di Zhi is represented by a zodiac animal or Sheng Xiao (生肖).
The Tian Gan are associated with five elements, five phases or Wu Xing (五行) in their Yin (阴) and Yang (阳) forms. For those believing in Feng Shui (风水), each element / phase is associated to a colour.
The elements interact with each other in the following ways:
The following is a list of Tian Gan and corresponding Wu Xing:
The following is a list of Di Zhi and corresponding zodiac animal.
Each of the two components is used sequentially. Therefore, the first year of the 60-year cycle becomes Jia Zi (甲子),the second year is Yi Chou (乙丑),and so on. When the end of a component is reached, it repeats from the start of the list. Finally, the 60th year is Gui Hai (癸亥).
A traditional new year usually begins on the second new moon after the northern hemisphere winter solstice but occasionally on the third. In short, New Year should fall on the new moon closest to the beginning of spring (in the northern hemisphere), known as Li Chun (立春).
Year 2014 is the year of green wood(en) horse, Jia Ma (甲马).
Title: Lesson on Chinese Culture - Chinese Calendar
The revolutionary government of China announced the abolition of the traditional Chinese calendar and using the Gregorian calendar as standard or official calendar since 1/1/1912.
Gregorian calendar (格里高利历) is based on the length of time the Earth rotating around the sun and is therefore known as a solar calendar or Yang Li (阳历). Gregorian calendar is also called Xi LI (西历) (Western Calendar), Gong Li (公历)(reckoning by Christian era), or Xin Li (新历) (New-style calendar).
Traditional Chinese calendar is still widely used in China and many Chinese communities outside China. It is also called Yin Li (阴历)(In opposite to Yang Li mentioned earlier), Jiu Li (旧历) (Old-style calendar), Nong Li (农历) (Farmer calendar)or Xia Li (夏历)(Xia-dynasty-style calendar). History of early calendar can be traced back to Xia Dynasty (夏朝),the first dynasty. For that reason, Chinese calendar was also known as Xia calendar (夏历).
Technically speaking, Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar (阴阳历). A lunisolar calendar is a calendar is based on the exact astronomical observations of the longitude of the sun and the phases of the moon.Gregorian calendar is numbered sequentially. An ordinary year has 365 days, and a leap year has an extra day added to February, making it 365 days.
Leap year happens every 4 years, except the century year, 100th year. Leap year also happens every 400th years. In short, the Gregorian calendar’s cycles repeat every 400 years or 146,097 days. The calendar mean year is 365.2425 days. This number can also be calculated as using the formula 365 + 1/4- 1/100+ 1/400 = 365.2425
In the traditional Chinese calendar,an ordinary year has 12 months and a leap year has 13 months. A leap year occurs about once every three years. An ordinary year has 353-355 days while a leap year has 383-385 days.
To work out whether a year is a leap year, one must calculate the number of new moons between the 11th month in one year, which is the month with the winter solstice (in northern hemisphere) and the 11th month in the following year. If there are 13 new moons from the start of the 11th month in the first year to the start of the 11th month in the second year, a leap month is added. The name of the leap month is the same as the previous lunar month.
In ancient China, seasonal markers or solar terms or Jie Qi (节气) mark the various periods to assist farmers to decide when to plant or harvest crops. During the Shang Dynasty (商朝)they only used four; the Zhou Dynasty (周朝) (11th century BC -221 BC), used eight; but it was Emperor Han Wu Di (汉武帝) of the Western Han Dynasty (西汉朝) introduced reforms to use 24 terms that were decided upon. Consequently, the Chinese calendar has been known as the Han calendar (汉历).
Gregorian calendar (格里高利历) is based on the length of time the Earth rotating around the sun and is therefore known as a solar calendar or Yang Li (阳历). Gregorian calendar is also called Xi LI (西历) (Western Calendar), Gong Li (公历)(reckoning by Christian era), or Xin Li (新历) (New-style calendar).
Traditional Chinese calendar is still widely used in China and many Chinese communities outside China. It is also called Yin Li (阴历)(In opposite to Yang Li mentioned earlier), Jiu Li (旧历) (Old-style calendar), Nong Li (农历) (Farmer calendar)or Xia Li (夏历)(Xia-dynasty-style calendar). History of early calendar can be traced back to Xia Dynasty (夏朝),the first dynasty. For that reason, Chinese calendar was also known as Xia calendar (夏历).
Technically speaking, Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar (阴阳历). A lunisolar calendar is a calendar is based on the exact astronomical observations of the longitude of the sun and the phases of the moon.Gregorian calendar is numbered sequentially. An ordinary year has 365 days, and a leap year has an extra day added to February, making it 365 days.
Leap year happens every 4 years, except the century year, 100th year. Leap year also happens every 400th years. In short, the Gregorian calendar’s cycles repeat every 400 years or 146,097 days. The calendar mean year is 365.2425 days. This number can also be calculated as using the formula 365 + 1/4- 1/100+ 1/400 = 365.2425
In the traditional Chinese calendar,an ordinary year has 12 months and a leap year has 13 months. A leap year occurs about once every three years. An ordinary year has 353-355 days while a leap year has 383-385 days.
To work out whether a year is a leap year, one must calculate the number of new moons between the 11th month in one year, which is the month with the winter solstice (in northern hemisphere) and the 11th month in the following year. If there are 13 new moons from the start of the 11th month in the first year to the start of the 11th month in the second year, a leap month is added. The name of the leap month is the same as the previous lunar month.
In ancient China, seasonal markers or solar terms or Jie Qi (节气) mark the various periods to assist farmers to decide when to plant or harvest crops. During the Shang Dynasty (商朝)they only used four; the Zhou Dynasty (周朝) (11th century BC -221 BC), used eight; but it was Emperor Han Wu Di (汉武帝) of the Western Han Dynasty (西汉朝) introduced reforms to use 24 terms that were decided upon. Consequently, the Chinese calendar has been known as the Han calendar (汉历).
The solar terms are based on the solar calendar, determined by the ecliptic longitude of the sun. Spring Equinox or Chun Fen (春分)is when the sun is at an ecliptic longitude of 0° exactly. This day has equal lengths of day and night. However, this is NOT the first of the solar term. The first solar term is Li Chun (立春) when spring begins.
Each solar term varies by 15˚. In each month there are often two solar terms; the first one is major solar term named Jie Qi (节气) same as the collective term used, and the other is the minor solar term Zhong Qi (中气).
The following are the solar terms:
- Xiao Han (小寒) - Small Chill,Moderate cold or Cold period begins (285˚), Jie Qi (节气)
- Da Han (大寒) - Big Chill, Severe cold or Coldest period (300˚), Zhong Qi (中气)
- Li Chun (立春) - Spring begins(315˚), Jie Qi (节气)
- Yu Shui (雨水) - Rain begins or Spring showers (330˚), Zhong Qi (中气)
- Jing Zhe (惊蛰) - Insects awake from hibernation (345˚), Jie Qi (节气)
- Chun Fen (春分) - Vernal Equinox or Spring Equinox (0˚), Zhong Qi (中气)
- Qing Ming (清明) - Clear and bright (15˚), Jie Qi (节气)
- Gu Yu (谷雨) - Grain Rain or Rainfall for grain (30˚), Zhong Qi (中气)
- Li Xia (立夏) - Summer begins (45˚), Jie Qi (节气)
- Xiao Man (小满) - Grain mature to the point of producing ears (60˚), Zhong Qi (中气)
- Mang Zhong (芒种) - Grain in Ear or Corn ripens (75˚)
- Xia Zhi (夏至) - Summer Solstice (90˚), Zhong Qi (中气)
- Xiao Shu (小暑) - Moderate Heat or Hot period begins (105˚), Jie Qi (节气)
- Da Shu (大暑) - Great Heat or Hottest period (120˚), Zhong Qi (中气)
- Li Qiu (立秋) - Autumn begins (135˚), Jie Qi (节气)
- Chu Shu (处暑) - End of heat (150˚), Zhong Qi (中气)
- Bai Lu (白露) - Dew forms (165˚), Jie Qi (节气)
- Qiu Fen (秋风) - Autumn Equinox (180˚), Zhong Qi (中气)
- Han Lu (寒露) - Cold Dew (195˚), Jie Qi (节气)
- Shuang Jiang (霜降) - Frost descends (210˚)
- Li Dong (立冬) - Winter begins (225˚)
- Xiao Xue (小雪) - Light Snow or Snow begins to fall (240˚), Zhong Qi (中气)
- Da Xue (大雪) - Heavy Snow or Snows heavily (255˚), Jie Qi (节气)
- Dong Zhi (冬至) - Winter solstice (270˚), Zhong Qi (中气)
The traditional Chinese calendar does not count years in an infinite sequence. Each year is assigned a name consisting of two components within each 60-year cycle. The first component is a celestial stem called Tian Gan (天干), and the second component is a terrestrial branch called Di Zhi (地支). There are ten Tian Gan and twelve Di Zhi, and each Di Zhi is represented by a zodiac animal or Sheng Xiao (生肖).
The Tian Gan are associated with five elements, five phases or Wu Xing (五行) in their Yin (阴) and Yang (阳) forms. For those believing in Feng Shui (风水), each element / phase is associated to a colour.
- Wood (Mu, 木) - Green
- Fire (Huo, 火) - Red
- Earth (Tu, 土) - Yellow
- Metal (Jin, 金) - White
- Water (shui, 水) - Black
The elements interact with each other in the following ways:
- Wood feeds Fire
- Fire creates Earth(ash)
- Earth bears Metal
- Metal enriches Water(minerals in water)
- Water nourishes Wood
The following is a list of Tian Gan and corresponding Wu Xing:
- Jia (甲): Yang Wood
- Yi (乙): Yin Wood
- Bing (丙): Yang Fire
- Ding (丁): Yin Fire
- Wu (午): Yang Earth
- Ji (己): Yin Earth
- Geng (庚): Yang Metal
- Xin (辛): Yin Metal
- Ren (壬): Yang Water
- Gui (癸): Yin Water
The following is a list of Di Zhi and corresponding zodiac animal.
- Zi (子): Rat (Shu, 鼠)
- Chou (丑): Ox (Niu, 牛)
- Yin (寅): Tiger (Hu, 虎)
- Mao (卯): Rabbit (Tu, 兔)
- Chen (辰): Long (Long, 龙)
- Si (巳): Snake (Se, 蛇)
- Wu (午): Horse (Ma, 馬)
- Wei (未): Sheep (Yang, 羊)
- Shen (申): Monkey (Ho, 猴)
- You (酉): Rooster (Ji, 鸡)
- Xu (戌): Dog (Gou, 狗)
- Hai (亥): Pig (Zu, 猪)
Each of the two components is used sequentially. Therefore, the first year of the 60-year cycle becomes Jia Zi (甲子),the second year is Yi Chou (乙丑),and so on. When the end of a component is reached, it repeats from the start of the list. Finally, the 60th year is Gui Hai (癸亥).
A traditional new year usually begins on the second new moon after the northern hemisphere winter solstice but occasionally on the third. In short, New Year should fall on the new moon closest to the beginning of spring (in the northern hemisphere), known as Li Chun (立春).
Year 2014 is the year of green wood(en) horse, Jia Ma (甲马).