Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - The 24 Solar Terms - Why is March called Yangchun?

Why is March called Yangchun?

March is called Yangchun because of the 24 solar terms. The ancients divided a year into 24 solar terms, and Qingming was located in the fifth solar term. That is, the first solar term in the last month of spring, Tomb-Sweeping Day is around March, so March is called Yangchun.

Yangchun is generally used to describe the warm weather, which comes from Huainanzi written by Liu An in the Han Dynasty: "Add fifteen fingers after the vernal equinox, and the wind will clear up." It means15th day after the vernal equinox, which means spring March, and "Tomb-Sweeping Day is coming" means "Tomb-Sweeping Day". At this time, the ancients would take off their winter clothes, put on their spring shirts and go to the suburbs to enjoy the spring scenery. From the vernal equinox to Tomb-Sweeping Day, the sun has gradually moved northward, the days are getting longer and longer, the climate temperature is rising, and the precipitation is also increasing. Animals and plants grow fastest at this time of year.