What month is it in Chen Yue?

Chen Yue is from March to April in the lunar calendar and from mid-April to mid-May in the solar calendar.

Chen Yue originated from the method of observing the moon in the official branch, which is generally called "Qingming-Long Summer" period. Chen Yue is the fifth month of the twelve lunar months, which usually corresponds to the middle of April to the middle of May in the Gregorian calendar. Chen Yue is the official beginning of spring. This month, the earth began to wake up, and the spring rain moistened the growth of everything. In folk tradition, the moon is also considered as a good opportunity to find auspicious things such as children and marriage.

Each earthly branch corresponds to the 24 solar terms of the lunar calendar, from one solar term (non-neutral) to the next, and the initial one-month cycle is determined by the node time. In fact, the origin of the name "Chen Yue" has not been confirmed. According to the 24 solar terms, Chen Yue's name is related to ancient divination, indicating a special time node. In ancient China, many daily life and social activities were related to divination.

The custom of Chen Yue

In folklore, Chen Yue also has many unique traditions, such as "keeping in good health for March" and "leaving things to others". March refers to the tradition of keeping in good health in spring, because the climate is pleasant and the sun is shining, which is a good time to recuperate. Leaving things to others reflects people's respect for nature, because at this stage, nature is in an active period of the growth of all things, and everyone should leave some time for nature to grow freely.

Chen Yue is an important node in spring, representing the beginning of the revival and germination of all things, and nature has entered a new stage. Therefore, Chen Yue is also considered as a good opportunity for many sacrificial acts, such as begging for children, worshipping God, offering sacrifices to ancestors, begging for rain and getting married.