The Wonders and Wisdom of Life Hidden in the 24 Solar Terms

In order to understand the whole Chinese culture, we must first understand the Chinese yin-yang calendar, that is, we Chinese people have divided the whole festival into 24 seasons. Why is it divided like this? Let me read you a passage from the poem Bin Feng. In the month of May, the katydid moves its strands; in June, the cockerel has its wings; in July, it is in the field; in August, it is in the house; in September, it is in the house; and in October, the cricket enters under my bed. The poem made a big splash at the Chinese Poetry Conference. Then it is the references in the text to life in the manor and the corresponding rituals and ceremonies that allow us to understand the flow of the seasons of the year: that is, the close relationship between people and events.

The Chinese calendar is a yin and yang calendar, the year is the solar year, that is, the cycle of the sun's orbit; the year is a year for 365 and 1/4 days, which is a year. Then the year of Tai Yin, the January solstice 29 and 1/2 days, 12 months together, a little shorter than the solar energy, so the yin and yang combined calendar, taking into account the arrangement of the seasons of the year. The full moon was taken as the half of the month, and the first day of the month was taken as the first day of the month when the moonlight had not yet appeared; and the last day of the month was taken as the last day of the month when the moonlight could not be seen at all. So the Chinese calendar takes into account the cycles of the Sun and the Moon.

The twenty-four seasons in the Chinese calendar are divided into 12 seasons and 12 qi, according to the length of the solar year. At least the arrangement of the peasant calendar is still in use today. I think it is necessary for you to understand the order of the 24 solar terms: spring, rain, hibernation; spring equinox, Qingming, grain rain; summer, fullness, mango seeding; summer solstice, small heat, great heat; autumn, heat stroke, white dew; autumn equinox, cold dew, frost; winter, light snow, heavy snow; winter solstice, small cold, great cold. But if you just know these 24 festivals is not enough.

You need to know that inside these 24 solar terms. There are 4 principles included. The first is the change of seasons , all about the change of seasons. For example, spring, equinox, summer, summer solstice, autumn, autumn equinox, winter, winter solstice, it is good to remember 8. And then, the second one is the change of temperature. Which ones are included in the change of temperature? Small summer, big summer, the first summer, small cold, big cold, these 5 is about the temperature change. The third one is the change of precipitation, because the agricultural society pays special attention to the amount of precipitation, so rain, grain rain, white dew, cold dew, frost, light snow, heavy snow, this is about the amount of precipitation of the seven seasons. The 4th one is about climatic phenomena or the turnover of agricultural activities , such as hibernation, Qingming, Xiaoman, and Mangseo. You see, when you sort it out like this, it turns out that all the 24 solar terms have their own rationale. This is the 24 solar terms that we have divided into four categories.

In addition to these 24 solar terms, we Chinese, because you are a traditional agricultural society, you also have to consider the seasons in which different crops grow, as well as the seasons after you have paid your own taxes, and it is the harvesting of the remaining crops that is the resource of life for the average agricultural farmer's family. So in order to cope with these needs, there were a few important festivals, which became the major junctures of the year. What are these major festivals?

The first is the first harvest after the Spring Festival, after the spring, the first time to receive crops from the ground May Dragon Boat Festival, which is the Dragon Boat Festival. In the south of central China, this is the time to harvest the first crops, mainly vegetables and fruits; in the north, the wheat planted in the fall can be harvested at this time. So May Dragon Boat Festival is the 1st pass, it's a big festival. And then the second juncture, is the 15th of August when the moon is full, why is this time important? Why is this important? Because the whole country is in the midst of the fall harvest, and because the air is dry and there is no moisture to obscure the moon, the moon is especially bright in the fall. At harvest time, families can have a pleasant reunion on a cool moonlit night after a long day of labor, and this is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Everyone remembers to eat mooncakes at that time. Then the 3rd hurdle is the 12th month of the lunar calendar, which was called La in ancient times, that is, we say Lunar New Year . The month of Lunar New Year was the beginning of the year in ancient times, because by this time, from the government's standpoint, the revenue for the next year could probably be accurately estimated. At this time, it was also possible to prepare the next year's budget and settle the year's harvest. This was the equivalent of what we today call the beginning of the accounting year. This is what the waxing moon is all about. Then the winter solstice is also equivalent to the time around Christmas in the Gregorian calendar , in terms of the solar year, this is the day with the shortest day, it is the time when the sun goes to the furthest south of the Tropic of Capricorn, the crops have basically been harvested, and the fields have been cleared, and it's time to buy, it's time to buy, it's time to buy, and it's New Year's Day in a little more than a month. So the winter solstice is both a time of harvest and a time to catch your breath after a busy year. Below that is the first day of the first month of the lunar year. This is also known as New Year's Day, or New Year's Day. In most areas, then, the New Year is the only time when the fields are resting and the farmers are also resting. So Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and New Year are all times for family reunions, where children who work outside return home, and family members who work in the fields have a chance to savor the fruits of their hard work .

For the Chinese and some East Asian societies that use the same calendar, the significance of these festivals is far greater than that of Christmas and New Year in all parts of the world today, that is, when you understand the significance of your own festive season, we need to take a break, we can enjoy it, our work produces results, we pay our taxes, and you know how nice it is to take a break at this time of the year.