| Chinese New Year | |
|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2008 19:16 |   |
 | Why is Chinese New Year also called 'Spring Festival' when it is celebrated in the middle of winter and not in the spring? Wouldn't 'Winter Festival' be more appropriate? |
| Apr 17, 2008 20:23 | #1 |
| Good question. As far as I know, it is closely related to Chinese Lunar Calendar, more precisely Chinese Twenty-four Terms. The Chinese New Year is called the Spring Festival because it starts from the Beginning of Spring (the first of the twenty-four terms in coordination with the changes of Nature). According to Lunar Calendar, "?" (spring) is the first season of a year, signifying the beginning. It is my understanding and knowledge of the origin of Spring Festival. Hope someone else can shed more instructive light on this topic. I am also expecting to learn about the topic. |
| Apr 17, 2008 20:40 | #2 |
| >>...The Chinese New Year is called the Spring Festival because it starts from the Beginning of Spring (the first of the twenty-four terms in coordination with the changes of Nature). According to Lunar Calendar, "?" (spring) is the first season of a year, signifying the beginning. It is my understanding and knowledge of the origin of Spring Festival. Hope someone else can shed more instructive light on this topic. I am also expecting to learn about the topic. Thanks Leonardo for your answer! OK, so now I have more questions than before. :) If spring is the first season of the year, how many seasons are there and when do they take place in a Chinese calendar year? Thanks! |
| Apr 17, 2008 21:11 | #3 |
| Canadaguy, you are welcome! Oh, I have to search about it. Here it is: Beginning of Spring (立春) usually starting from the fourth or fifth of Febrary. Rain Water （雨水）from the nineteeth or twentieth of Febrary, a time when rainy seasons are setting in. Waking of Insects（惊蛰）from the fifth or sixth of March, as the earth awakes from hibernation; Spring Equinox （春分）from the twentieth or twenty-first of March; Pure Brightness （清明）from the fourth or fifth of April; Grain Rain （谷雨）from the twentieth or twenty-first of April; Beginning of Summer（立夏)from the fifth or sixth of May; Grain Full （小满）from the twentieth or twenty-first of May; Grain in Ear （芒种）from the fifth or sixth of June; Summer Solstice （夏至）from the twenty-first or second of June; Slight Heat （小暑）from the sixth or seventh of July; Great Heat （大暑) from the twenty-second or third of July; Beginning of Autumn（立秋）from the seventh or eighth of August; Limit of Heat （处暑）from the twenty-third or fourth of August; White Dew （白露）from the seventh or eighth of September; Autumnal Equinox（秋分）from the twenty-third or fourth of September; Cold Dew （寒露）from the eighth or nineth of October; Frost's Descent （霜降）from the twentieth-three or fourth of October; Beginning of Winter （立冬）from the seventh or eighth of November; Slight Snow （小雪）from the twenty-second or third of November; Great Snow （大雪）from the seventh or eighth of December; Winter Solstice （冬至）from the twenty-second or third of December; Slight Cold （小寒）from the fifth or sixth of January; and lastly Great Cold （大寒）from the twentieth or twenty-first of January which brings the 24-term cycle to an end. For more information, you can google " Chinese Twenty-four Terms" or "Twenty-four Solar Terms". |
| Apr 17, 2008 21:39 | #4 |
| Ah.. I see. Thank you Leonardo! So basically the western and eastern seasons are off by quite a degree, in time anyways. Spring East: Feb 4 - May 5 West: Mar 20 - June 20 Summer East: May 5 - Aug 7 West: June 20 - Sept 22 Autumn East: Aug 8 - Nov 7 West: Sept 22 - Dec 21 Winter East: Nov 8 - Feb 4 West: Dec 21 - Mar 20 We are behind you with our time (clocks) and our seasons! The Chinese are so much ahead of the West! :) |
| Apr 24, 2008 21:19 | #5 |
| It is said that Chinese Twenty-four Terms is much earlier than the western calendar. |
Post a Reply to: Chinese New Year
Copyright © 1998-2024 All rights reserved.