What if there is no calendar! How did the ancients determine beginning of winter?

Now, we also look at the date through the calendar and the time through the watch. Can you imagine what your life would be like without these two? The ancients were really wise, and they could accurately judge time without conditions. Do you know how the ancients determined beginning of winter time? Come with me and see how wise the ancients really are.

May also be interested in the origin and customs of beginning of winter.

As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, China could already measure the length of the midday sun shadow with a soil gauge (erect a pole on the plane) to determine the four solar terms of winter solstice, summer solstice, vernal equinox and autumnal equinox. 1 year, the shortest day at noon is the summer solstice, the longest day is the winter solstice, and the shadow length is the vernal equinox or autumnal equinox. By the Qin and Han Dynasties, the complete concept of the 24 solar terms had been formed.

In ancient times, 1 year was divided into 12 months, and each month had two solar terms. The former is solar terms, while the latter is neutral. Later generations collectively referred to solar terms and neutral gas as solar terms.

It can be seen from the naming of 24 solar terms that the division of solar terms fully considers the changes of natural phenomena such as seasons, climate and phenology. Among them, beginning of spring, Changxia, beginning of autumn, beginning of winter, vernal equinox, autumnal equinox, summer solstice and winter solstice are used to reflect the seasons. The vernal equinox, autumnal equinox, summer solstice and winter solstice are divided from an astronomical point of view, reflecting the turning point of solar height change. Beginning of spring, Changchun, beginning of autumn and beginning of winter reflect the beginning of the four seasons.

The time when the sun runs along the longitude of the Yellow River from zero 15 degrees is called "a solar term". It runs 360 degrees every year, and * * * experiences 24 solar terms, twice a month.

In beginning of winter, the longitude of the sun is 225 degrees. Traditionally, our people think that this day is the beginning of winter. Winter, as the end, means that after a year of field work, crops will be harvested. After beginning of winter passes, the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River in China will soon freeze, and farmers from all over China will gradually turn to farmland water conservancy infrastructure and other agricultural activities.

Ancient records:

Beginning of winter, October Festival. Before setting the words. In winter, everything will be collected in the end.

The water began to freeze. The water surface is initially solidified, but it is not firm.

The ground began to freeze. The country atmosphere is too cold to be demolished.

When the pheasant enters the flood, it becomes a stork. Pheasant, pheasant; Zheng Kangcheng, Huai Nanzi and Gaoyou all noticed that the stork is a huge clam. Jade Piece also said: storks are big clams. Mozi also said: mussel, a stork, is mussel not a clam? The Note to the Book of Rites calls it Jiao, while Yaya is interpreted as clam and slug, but it seems that it is not a clam. However, according to the article "Chejiao" in Materia Medica, Chejiao, a giant clam slug, can exhale as a balcony and smell the dirty air by the sea as a building wall. "Zhang Gui Jing" says: the biggest one is a round island, and the moon is idle and exhales, like a dragon. Then you will know that this is a clam, and it will be clear. In addition, Er Ya Yi quoted the view of Zhou Li scholars that this is a kind of clam, which is very clear. Notes to the Book of Rites refers to pheasants, and because of the snake shape, pheasants are regarded as dragonflies. Yaya is said to be as big as a snake, and her belly is covered with scales, so she is known, but she is suspected to look like a dragon, with ears and horns, but she is also known. Flood, Huai also, Jin language says: pheasant into Huai is a stork.