International and Domestic Festival Spectacle

Author: Wu Xiaoning / Country:
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-12-01
Features: Each of the 24 solar terms has its specific meaning:
(1) Lichun, Liuxia, Liqiu, and Lidong are the starting days of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. "Li" means the beginning. As the saying goes, "After Liqiu, it gets cool." It is noteworthy that these "Four Li" mark the beginning of the "astronomical seasons," while China's "meteorological seasons" are divided differently: March to May are spring, June to August are summer, September to November are autumn, and December to the following February are winter. There are also other methods of dividing seasons, such as based on temperature, where the average temperature of a "hou" (a period of five days) above 22°C is considered summer, below 10°C is winter, and between 10°C and 22°C, the first half is spring and the second half is autumn.
(2) Yushui means the gradual increase in rainfall.
(3) Jingzhe: Animals hibernate in holes or underground during winter, a state called "zhe"; "jīng" means startled. Ancients believed that animals were awakened from hibernation by thunder, hence the name "Jingzhe." After Jingzhe, thunder begins to occur, and hibernating insects and animals start to become active.
(4) Chunfen and Qiufen divide spring and autumn into two equal parts, as well as day and night, resulting in equal daylight and nighttime. This day is also called "Day-Night Division."
(5) Qingming: The climate becomes warm, the weather clear and bright, marking the time when grass and trees turn green and begin to grow.
(6) Guyu means "rain gives birth to a hundred grains," indicating increasing rainfall that benefits grain growth. The agricultural proverb says, "After Guyu, plant melons and beans."
(7) Xiaoman: The grains of summer crops begin to ripen but are not yet fully mature, hence the name "Xiaoman."
(8) Mangzhong: "Mang" refers to crops with awns, and "zhong" refers to seeds. "Mangzhong" means that awn-bearing crops are ripe and ready for harvest. It is also called "Mangzhong," referring to the busy planting of summer crops.
(9) Xiaozhi and Dazhi: These are the times when the sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N latitude) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S latitude), respectively. On the day of Xiaozhi, days are longest and nights are shortest; on the day of Dazhi, days are shortest and nights are longest.
(10) Xiaoshu, Shu, and Dashu: "Shu" means hot weather. "Xiaoshu" indicates the start of hot weather, while "Dashu" means very hot weather. Dashu is the hottest period of the year.
(11) Chushu: "Chu" means to end or hide. "Chushu" signifies that the hot weather is about to end.
(12) Bailu and Hanlu: When the temperature drops, the moisture in the air condenses into dew. During "Bailu," the temperature begins to cool, and during "Hanlu," it becomes even colder.
(13) Shuangjia: The temperature drops further, and frost begins to form. After frost, many plants lose vitality, and green leaves start to turn yellow and fall.
(14) Xiaoxue and Daixue: The temperature becomes even colder, and snow begins to fall in snowy regions. "Daixue" is colder than "Xiaoxue," and the northern regions enter severe winter.
(15) Xiaohan and Dahan: The temperature becomes extremely cold. "Dahan" is the coldest period of the year. Cold is not always bad, as the saying goes, "If Dahan is not cold, neither humans nor horses will be at ease." Humans and horses are products of nature, and it is natural for them to be cold in the cold season and hot in the hot season, which aligns with natural laws and is more beneficial to health.
The Chinese lunar calendar reflects the influence of the sun and moon's positions on the growth of plants and animals on Earth, making it highly suitable for agriculture, animal husbandry, and health maintenance. P4-5