What is the meaning of Jiazi Year in southwest Shandong?

Jiazinian in southwest Shandong is a name headed by "mouse" in the zodiac, and it is one of the constituent elements of the lunar calendar. There is a sub-cycle every 60 years, that is, a round. Jiazi year in southwest Shandong is named according to the lunar calendar year and the order of branches. In the lunar calendar, a year is divided into twelve months, and the first day of each month is a node, corresponding to a earthly branch and a zodiac sign, which constitutes the naming rules of Jiazi Year.

According to historical records, the earliest naming of Jiazi Year can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty, while Jiazi Year in southwestern Shandong was formed in the Ming Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, due to the development of society and agricultural economy, the government formulated the naming rules of Jiazi year, that is, to determine the order of earthly branches and zodiac signs, and to establish the Jiazi year system. On this basis, southwest Shandong gradually formed its own Jiazi nomenclature.

Jiazi Year in southwest Shandong is widely used in folk beliefs, customs, calendar records and so on. There are countless folklore about the year of Jiazi. For example, in the north, there is a tradition of "three points in the year of birth, and the wine is worn out"; The south believes that after the birth year, it can get rid of bad luck; In the tradition of Jiazi Year in southwest Shandong, the Chinese New Year should be arranged in combination with the lunar calendar and solar terms. In addition, in terms of calendar records, the yearbook, lunar calendar, solar terms and so on in southwest Shandong are inseparable from the application of Jiazi Year.