The origin and significance of the twenty-four solar terms

The origin of the twenty-four solar terms

Twenty-four solar terms were formulated by ancient people according to the position change of the earth on the ecliptic (that is, the orbit of the earth around the sun), and each solar term corresponds to the climate law that the sun reaches a certain position every time it runs 15 on the ecliptic.

The earth's orbit around the sun was named "ecliptic" by the ancients, also known as "solar ecliptic". The ecliptic is divided into 24 equal parts, separated by 15, forming 24 solar terms.

The 24 solar terms are actually 24 solar terms, 2 per month.

Twenty-four solar terms take the earth's revolution around the sun as a cycle, which basically summarizes the different positions of the sun on the ecliptic at different times of the year, the exact time of cold coming and summer going, the laws of natural phenomena such as rainfall and snowfall, and the time of recording some phenological phenomena in nature.

The start date of the 24 solar terms in China's solar calendar is almost the same as that in the international Gregorian calendar, with a difference of at most one or two days, which is precisely because the solar calendar, like the Gregorian calendar, is based on the fact that the earth revolves around the sun once a year.

The trunk calendar is a calendar marked by 60 different heavenly stems and earthly branches.

The discipline of cadres and party branches begins with beginning of spring in the year and festivals in January.

It is divided into twelve months by twenty-four solar terms, each month contains two solar terms, and there is no leap month.

The dry calendar is related to the periodic motion of the earth around the sun, and its year, month and day are all determined by the apparent motion of the sun, regardless of the moon phase.

But it is different from the usual solar calendar (such as Gregorian calendar). The length of the solar calendar is artificially specified and has nothing to do with the astronomical phenomena, so it is a solar calendar with China characteristics.

Since ancient times, dry calendars are still popular in books such as perpetual calendars, which are used for astrology, geomantic omen and numerology.

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The significance of the twenty-four solar terms

Twenty-four solar terms are not only the time criterion promulgated by successive governments, but also the compass to guide agricultural production and to predict cold, warm, snow and rainy days in people's daily life.

Twenty-four solar terms accurately reflect seasonal changes, which are used to guide agricultural activities and affect the food, clothing, housing and transportation of thousands of households.

The twenty-four solar terms scientifically reveal the laws of astronomical and meteorological changes.

Twenty-four solar terms skillfully combine astronomy, agriculture, phenology and folk customs, resulting in a large number of related seasonal cultures, which have become an important part of China traditional culture.

In the long farming society, the 24 solar terms have played an important guiding role in agricultural activities and have rich cultural connotations. Some important solar terms such as beginning of spring, Winter Solstice and Qingming also have interesting folk customs, such as "biting spring" and "hiking".

Extended data:

Characteristics of solar terms

spring

Beginning of spring: Fighting refers to Yin; The meridian of the sun is 3 15 degrees.

Standing is the beginning, and beginning of spring is beginning of spring.

Gregorian calendar February 3-5.

Rain: fighting fingers; The meridian of the sun is 330 degrees.

It began to rain, and it gradually increased.

Gregorian calendar February 18-20.

Stunned: fight with your fingers; The meridian of the sun is 345 degrees.

Sting means hiding.

Sting refers to the sudden movement of spring thunder, which awakens the hibernating animals in the soil.

Gregorian calendar 05-07 March.

Vernal equinox: fighting finger; The meridian of the sun is 0 degrees.

Divide means divide equally.

The vernal equinox means that day and night are equally divided.

March 20-22 of Gregorian calendar.

Qingming: fighting refers to Ding; The solar calendar is 15.

The weather is sunny and lush.

Gregorian calendar 04-06 April.

Grain Rain: Fighting Finger; The meridian of the sun is 30 degrees.

Rain has bred hundreds of valleys.

With sufficient and timely rainfall, cereal crops can thrive.

Gregorian calendar April 19-2 1.

summer

Long summer: refers to the southeast; The meridian of the sun is 45 degrees.

The beginning of summer.

Gregorian calendar 05-07.

Xiaoman: fighting nails; The meridian of the sun is 60 degrees.

The seeds of summer crops such as wheat began to plump.

Gregorian calendar may 20-27.

Mangzhong: Fighting refers to yourself; The meridian of the sun is 75 degrees.

Crops with awns, such as wheat, are ripe.

Gregorian calendar 05-07 June.

Summer solstice: bucket refers to B; The meridian of the sun is 90 degrees.

The hot summer is coming.

Gregorian calendar June 2 1-22.

Small summer heat: fighting refers to Xin; The solar calendar is 105.

Summer heat; Slight summer heat refers to when the climate begins to get hot.

Gregorian calendar 06-08 July.

Summer heat: bucket finger c; The solar calendar is 120.

The hottest time of the year.

July 22-24 of Gregorian calendar.

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autumn

Beginning of autumn: refers to the southwest; The solar line is 135.

The beginning of autumn.

Gregorian calendar 07-09 August.

Summer: fighting fingers; The solar line is 150.

Place means stop and hide.

Summer is the end of hot summer.

August 22-24 of Gregorian calendar.

White dew: fighting finger; The solar line is 165.

The weather became cold, with dew and white.

Gregorian calendar 07-09 September.

Autumnal equinox: the bucket refers to itself; The solar line is 180.

Divide day and night equally.

Gregorian calendar September 22-24.

Cold dew: fighting nails; The solar line is 195.

Dew is cold and will freeze.

Gregorian calendar 18-09 10 month.

First frost: fingers; The longitude of the sun is 2 10.

It's getting colder and colder, and it's frosting.

Gregorian calendar 65438+1October 23-24.

winter

Beginning of winter: the war refers to the northwest; The meridian of the sun is 225 degrees.

The beginning of winter.

Gregorian calendar165438+1October 7-8.

Xiaoxue: Fighting refers to yourself; The meridian of the sun is 240 degrees.

This means it's starting to snow.

Gregorian calendar165438+1October 22-23.

Heavy snow: fighting fingers; The meridian of the sun is 255 degrees.

As the snowfall increases, there may be snow on the ground.

Gregorian calendar 65438+February 6-8.

Solstice of winter: fighting fingers; The meridian of the sun is 270 degrees.

The cold winter is coming.

Gregorian calendar 65438+February 2 1-23.

Slight cold: fighting fingers; The meridian of the sun is 285 degrees.

The climate began to get cold.

Gregorian calendar 65438+1October 5-7.

Great cold: fighting refers to ugliness; The longitude of the sun is 300 degrees.

The coldest time of the year.

Gregorian calendar 65438+1October 20th -2 1.

social influence

In ancient times, twenty-four special festivals representing seasonal changes were established in the dry calendar.

The Han dynasty absorbed 24 solar terms to guide the supplementary calendar of farming, which is said to be based on the time series changes of astronomical phenomena, temperature, precipitation and phenology in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. For other parts of China, the situation described by the same solar term may be quite different.

But in fact, although "Li Si" can reflect the climate characteristics of the four distinct seasons in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, the specific climate significance of "Li Si" is not significant.

In climatology, beginning of spring is usually defined as a day when the daily average temperature is stable above 10℃ every five days, which is inconsistent with the meaning of beginning of spring in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Only the Lingnan area really enters the spring.

"The dividing line between beginning of spring and China in winter and spring (when the average daily temperature reaches 10 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days, it is counted as spring), from Guilin, Guangxi to Ganzhou, Jiangxi.

In the area south of the front line, there is a hint of spring in early spring, but 93% of the land in China is still winter. In Heilongjiang, spring is often long and summer is short, and Grain Rain is continuous. The so-called beginning of spring is just a "conception". "

In ancient China, the longest sun shadow was defined as "solstice" (also known as long day to day, long day to day and winter to day), and the shortest sun shadow was defined as "short day to day" (also known as short day to day and summer to day).

One day in spring and autumn is the same length of day and night, which is designated as "vernal equinox" and "autumnal equinox".

With the popularization and development of agricultural science and technology in 2 1 century, solar terms are not so strict to us, but they still play a basic guiding role in people's production and life, and are still an important reference for our daily necessities.

Twenty-four solar terms still exist in many parts of the country. Many agricultural proverbs and proverbs, such as "Spring is warm and rain is busy", "Qingming snow breaks, Grain Rain frost breaks", "White dew is in the open air, fish is full of boat tips", "After the White dew festival, the night is cold and the day is hot" and "Pickled vegetables with light snow and bacon with heavy snow", are vivid examples.

Historically, the 24 solar terms have already gone abroad and gone to the world, affecting the Korean Peninsula, Japan and Southeast Asia.

In some places, although the seasonal changes are not obvious, people there are still inheriting and carrying forward the 24 solar terms and their accompanying culture, which fully shows its cultural value.

Twenty-four solar terms have been accepted by Korea, Japan and other countries as early as ancient times, and have been used in modern times in combination with their actual situation and national culture.

Twenty-four solar terms were introduced into Japan for more than 65,438+0,000 years, and some solar terms were included in Japan's legal wishes (festivals).

? [7]? In ancient Japan, the China lunar calendar was always used, following the timetable of "24 solar terms". With the change of almanac by the Central Plains court in China, Yuanjia calendar, Linde calendar, Dayan calendar, Wuji calendar and Xuan Ming calendar were used successively.

Later, Japan began to use calendars written by the Japanese, such as Xiangzhen Calendar and Tianbao Calendar, which were more suitable for local people.

Japanese local festivals set according to the "24 solar terms" are called "miscellaneous festivals". Because the "twenty-four solar terms" were originally set according to the revolution of the earth, the date was set according to the solar terms according to the traditional algorithm.

For example, the "festival" in Japanese miscellaneous festivals is the day before the "beginning of spring" in China's "twenty-four solar terms"; "The other shore" is a week including the vernal equinox and the autumn equinox.

In contemporary Japan, the vernal equinox is also designated as a public holiday.

20 15 February 2, local time, Seoul, South Korea. There are two days left in beginning of spring in 24 solar terms. The staff of Seoul National Folk Museum posted Spring Festival couplets on the gate of the traditional Korean building Wucunwu.

In the traditional calendar of Vietnam, most of the "24 solar terms" have been retained, and the time of some solar terms has been changed, which is more suitable for the actual situation in Vietnam.

At present, although Vietnamese officials use the solar calendar, some people still use the traditional lunar calendar, especially farmers, who still arrange their work and rest according to the solar terms.

The successful application of the "Twenty-four Solar Terms" proves that China culture has been recognized by the international community again.

Since ancient times, it is not only the guardian of life and work from generation to generation, but also the guiding light that affects the development of civilization in many countries.