When is leap February?

March 22nd, 2023 is the first day of February in the year of Guimao Rabbit.

Leap February, that is, the lunar calendar has two February in a year, and the second February is leap February. This is done to prevent the lunar year from being out of touch with the tropic year (that is, the four seasons).

The frequency of leap February is second only to leap March, and the frequency of leap February is moderate around 2 1 century, generally once every 19 years (such as 2004 and 2023). Since then, the frequency of leap February has gradually decreased, becoming a rare leap month. Every century in the 25th-28th century has a leap February, but there is no leap February in the 29th-30th century, the 36th-38th century and the 40th-44th century. Spring Festival and Dragon Head Festival are the earliest, and the latest year of Shangsi Festival is usually in February.

Leap February appears because the month after February of the lunar calendar only has the solar term "Qingming", and the neutral "Grain Rain" after Qingming falls to the next month. Therefore, the month without neutral gas appears after February.

The custom of leap in February:

1, drink leap moon tea:

China tea culture has a long history, and the custom of drinking tea is also interspersed in some traditional festivals or solar terms. There is a saying of drinking tea in leap month, which is mainly popular in Wuyishan area. The specific form is that a few days before the leap month, local women will take turns to host and invite each other to have tea and chat at home.

2, send shoes, send stay niang cake, send pig's foot noodles, send an umbrella:

Generally speaking, the custom of leap month mostly reflects the relationship between married daughters and their parents, and usually conveys filial piety and parents' blessings to their children. In people's traditional concept, leap month belongs to eventful autumn, which is not very smooth, especially for elders. Therefore, in many areas, it is very important for daughters to send leap-moon shoes to their parents in leap months. People think that parents wearing leap-moon shoes can bring good luck, health and longevity.