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Basics of Chinese Calendar
Wikipedia
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The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar formed by combining a purely lunar calendar with a solar calendar. Among Chinese, the calendar is not used for most day to day activities, but is used for the dating of holidays such as Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) and the Mid-Autumn Festival and for divination. The primary use in day to day activities is for determining the phase of the moon, which is important for farmers and is possible because each day in the calendar corresponds to a particular phase of the month.
It has been created by the yellow emperor Wangdi in -2699 = 2700 BC of the Gregorian Calendar so now it's in its 79th cycle.
In China, the native calendar is the "farmer's calendar" (農曆 nónglì), as opposed to the "civil calendar" (公曆 gōnglì), or "Western calendar" (西曆 xī).
The Chinese lunar calendar and the Gregorian Calendar often sync up every 19 years (Metonic cycle). Most Chinese people notice that their Chinese and Western birthdays often fall on the same day on their 19th, 38th birthday etc.
The Chinese zodiac is completely different and is not used in the actual calculation of the calendar, but only in naming years. In fact, Chinese has a very different constellation system.
- The months are lunar months, such that the first day of each month beginning midnight is the day of the astronomical new moon.
- Each year has 12 regular months, which are numbered in sequence (1 to 12).
- A year may also have an intercalary month (闰月 rùnyuè), which may come after any regular month. It has the same number as the preceding regular month, but is designated intercalary.
- The Chinese solar year is divided into 12 parts that are equivalent to the sun signs of the tropical zodiac.
- Intercalary months are arranged so that the sun always enters Capricorn on the 11th regular month (month 11) of a year.
- If there are 12 months between two successive occurrences of month 11, one of these 12 months must be an intercalary month and it is the first of these 12 months during which the sun remains within the same zodiac sign throughout.
- The times of the astronomical new moons and the sun entering a zodiac sign are determined in the Chinese Time Zone by the Purple Mountain Observatory (紫金山天文台 Zǐjīnshān Tiānwéntái) in Nanjing.
The Zodiac Sign in which the sun is in at the start of the month usually determines the number of a regular month:
Month Zodiac Sign at Start
11 Sagittarius (by rule 4)
12 Capricorn
1 Aquarius
2 Pisces
3 Aries
4 Taurus
5 Gemini
6 Cancer
7 Leo
8 Virgo
9 Libra
10 Scorpio
Some astronomers believed this correspondence to be always true, but there are exceptions. An exception occurred in 1985, after the sun had entered Capricorn and then Aquarius in month 11, causing the Chinese New Year to occur on 20 February 1985 in Pisces rather than Aquarius.
The problem here is that there is a month in which the sun enters two signs of the zodiac. I'll refer to such a month as a dual-entry month. If a given month is a dual-entry month or has a dual-entry month before it and no earlier than the preceding month 11, the above correspondence may fail, otherwise it holds.
The years are named by cycle of 10 Heavenly Stems (天干 tiāngān) and cycle of 12 Earthly Branches (地支 dìzhī). Each year is named by a pair of one stem and one branch called Stem and Branch (干支 gānzhī). Heavenly Stems are associated with Yin Yang (阴阳 yīnyáng) and 5 elements (五行 wǔxíng). Earthly Branches are associated with 12 animals (see Twelve Animals section).
The 60-year cycle formed by combining the two cycles is known as a jiǎzǐ (甲子). It is not 120 because half of the combinations are unused. Jiǎzǐ is named after the first year in the 60-year cycle which is also called Jiǎzǐ. Some figures of speech use "jiǎzǐ" to mean "a full lifespan;" one who has lived more than a jiǎzǐ is obviously blessed. (Cf. the Biblical "three-score years and ten.")
This 60-year cycle is insufficient for historical references. During feudal China, the Nian Hao (Era name of an emperor) is add in front of year name for distinction. Example, 康熙壬寅 (kāngxī rényín) (1662 AD) is the first 壬寅 (rényín) year during reign of 康熙 (kāngxī).
The months, day, and hours can also be denoted using Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, though they are commonly addressed using numerals instead. Together, the four Stem and Branch pairs form the Eight Characters (八字 bāzì) used in Chinese astrology.
There is a distinction between solar year and lunar year in the Chinese calendar because the calendar is lunisolar. Lunar year (年 nián) is from one Chinese new year to the next. Solar year (歲 suì) is from one Start of Spring to the next (see Jiéqì section). Lunar year is used exclusively because dates are also in lunar.
The Twelve Animals (十二生肖 shíèr shēngxiào, or colloquially 十二属相 shíèr shǔxiāng) representing the 12 Earthly Branches 地支 dìzhī) are, in order, the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.
A legend explains the sequence in which the animals are assigned. Supposedly, the twelve animals fought over the precedence of the animals in the cycle of years in the calendar, so the Chinese gods held a contest to determine the order. All the animals lined up on the bank of a river and were given the task of getting to the opposite shore. Their order in the calendar would be set by the order in which the animals managed to reach the other side. The cat wondered how he would get across if he was afraid of water. At the same time, the ox wondered how he would cross with his poor eyesight. The calculating rat suggested that he and the cat jump onto the ox's back and guide him across. The ox was steady and hard-working so that he did not notice a commotion on his back. In the meanwhile, the rat snuck up behind the unsuspecting cat and shoved him into the water. Just as the ox came ashore, the rat jumped off and finished the race first. The lazy pig came to the far shore last. And so the rat got the first year named after him, the ox got the second year, and the pig ended up as the last. The cat finished too late to win any place in the calendar, and became the sworn enemy of the rat.
See Chinese astrology for more details.
Chinese months follow the phases of the moon. The part of the calendar that follows the movement of the sun is called jiéqì (節氣). Jiéqì can be translated as "Solar Terms." There are twenty four jiéqì. Because their calculation is solar-based, these jiéqì roughly fall on the same date in solar calendars such as the Gregorian Calendar, but do not form any obvious pattern in the Chinese calendar. Before the Gregorian calendar was introduced to China, jiéqì were published each year in farmers' almanacs. Farmers relied on these jiéqì to plan their planting and harvest seasons.
| Chinese Name |
Occurrence (Gregorian Date) |
Literary Meaning |
Remark |
| 立春 lìchūn |
February 4 ~ February 18 |
start of spring |
|
| 雨水 yǔshuǐ |
February 19 ~ March 4 |
rain water |
indicates more rain instead of snow |
| 驚蟄 jīngzhé |
March 5 ~ March 20 |
awakening of the insects |
indicates animals and insects awakening from hibernation |
| 春分 chūnfēn |
March 21 ~ April 4 |
vernal equinox |
|
| 清明 qīngmíng |
April 5 ~ April 19 |
clear and bright |
the time for tending graves |
| 穀雨 gǔyǔ |
April 20 ~ May 5 |
grain rain |
indicates rain will help grain growth |
| 立夏 lìxià |
May 6 ~ May 20 |
start of summer |
|
| 小滿 xiǎmǎn |
May 21 ~ June 5 |
small plumpness |
indicates plumpness of grains |
| 芒種 mángzhòng |
June 6 ~ June 20 |
grain in ear |
indicates grains growing ears (botany usage) |
| 夏至 xiàzhì |
June 21 ~ July 6 |
summer solstice |
|
| 小暑 xiǎoshǔ |
July 7 ~ July 22 |
minor heat |
|
| 大暑 dàshǔ |
July 23 ~ August 6 |
major heat |
|
| 立秋 lìqiū |
August 7 ~ August 22 |
start of autumn |
|
| 處暑 chùshǔ |
August 23 ~ September 7 |
stop of heat |
|
| 白露 báilù |
September 8 ~ September 22 |
white dew |
indicates condensed moisture makes dew white |
| 秋分 qiūfēn |
September 23 ~ October 7 |
autumnal equinox |
|
| 寒露 hánlù |
October 8 ~ October 22 |
cold dew |
|
| 霜降 shuāngjiàng |
October 23 ~ November 6 |
frost descent |
indicates appearing of frost and descent of temperature |
| 立冬 lìdōng |
November 7 ~ November 21 |
start of winter |
|
| 小雪 xiǎoxuě |
November 22 ~ December 7 |
minor snow |
|
| 大雪 dàxuě |
December 7 ~ December 21 |
major snow |
|
| 冬至 dōngzhì |
December 22 ~ January 5 |
winter solstice |
|
| 小寒 xiǎohán |
January 6 ~ January 19 |
minor cold |
|
| 大寒 dàhán |
January 20 ~ February 3 |
major cold |
|
The dates above are approximate and may vary slightly year to year. Chinese New Year is usually the new moon day closest to lìchūn.
The "Song of Solar Terms" (節氣歌; pinyin: jiéqìgē) is used to ease the memorization of jiéqì:
- 春雨驚春清谷天 chūn yǔ jīng chūn qīng gǔtiān,
- 夏滿芒夏暑相連 xià mǎn máng xià shǔ xiānglián,
- 秋處露秋寒霜降 qiū chù lù qiū hán shuāng xiáng,
- 冬雪雪冬小大寒 dōng xuě xuě dōng xiǎo dà hán.
| Date |
English Name |
Chinese Name |
Remarks |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
| month 1 day 1 |
Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) |
春節 chūnjié |
Observed with a family gathering and major festivities |
Feb 1 |
Jan 22 |
Feb 9 |
| month 1 day 15 |
Lantern Festival |
元宵節 yuánxiāojié |
Observed with yuanxiao eating |
Feb 15 |
Feb 5 |
Feb 23 |
| month 3 day 10 |
Qing Ming Jie |
清明節 qīngmíngjié |
|
April 5 |
|
|
| month 5 day 5 |
Dragon Boat Festival (Dragon Festival) |
端午節 duānwǔjié |
Observed with dragon boat racing and zongzi eating |
Jun 4 |
Jun 22 |
Jun 11 |
| month 7 day 7 |
Qi Qiao Jie (Chinese Valentine's Day) |
乞巧節 qǐqiǎojié |
Girls practice homemaking skills and 'beg' for good marriage |
Aug 4 |
Aug 22 |
Aug 11 |
| month 7 day 15 |
Ghost Festival (Spirit Festival) |
中元節 zhōngyuánjié |
|
Aug 12 |
Aug 30 |
Aug 19 |
| month 8 day 15 |
Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) |
中秋節 zhōngqiūjié |
Observed with a family gathering and moon cake eating |
Sep 11 |
Sep 28 |
Sep 18 |
| month 9 day 9 |
Double Ninth Festival |
重陽節 zhòngyángjié |
A day for mountain climbing and going to flower shows |
Oct 4 |
Oct 22 |
Oct 11 |
This article is licensed under the
GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the
Wikipedia article "Chinese Calendar".
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Last Modified: 2004-02-15 |
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