The 24 solar terms of the traditional Chinese calendar
The 24 solar term calendar was used in ancient China to govern agricultural arrangements and farming activities. The terms reflect changes in climate and other natural phenomena that used to play important roles in clothing, food, housing, and transportation. They still influence some Chinese customs and culinary practices.
The Earth orbits around the Sun along an elliptical path. Its axis is not perpendicular to the orbit but is tilted at about 23 degrees. The solar terms are evenly spread along the apparent path the Sun follows, which is known as ecliptic, and form a cycle that corresponds to one year exactly.
The system includes 12 major (sectional) and 12 minor (middle) solar terms. Each of them lasts around 15 days. They reflect the change of seasons (Beginning of Spring), the variation of the sun’s altitude (Summer solstice), the changes of temperature (Limit of Heat), the type and intensity of precipitation (White Dew), the maturity and harvest time of crops (Grain in Ear), and insect activity (Awakening of Insects).
During the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BCE) of the Zhou dynasty, the Chinese established two major solar terms: 日南至 (rìnánzhì, “sun south most”) and 日北至 (rìběizhì, “sun north most”).
At the end of the Warring States period (475-221 BCE), eight solar terms were in use. They represented the four seasons and solstices.
The rest of the terms were introduced during the Han dynasty (206 BCE-24 CE), which is most terms refer to the climate of its capital Xi’an.
立春 (lìchūn): February 4, Beginning of Spring (though only in the extreme south)
雨水 (yǔshuǐ): February 19, Rain Water (increase of rainfall)
惊蛰 (jīngzhé): March 5, Awakening of Insects (Thunder begins and hibernating insects wake up.)
春分 (chūnfēn): March 20, Spring Equinox (equal length of day and night)
清明 (qīngmíng): April 4, Pure Brightness (The weather becomes noticeably warmer. It is clear and bright, although not in the south)
谷雨 (gǔyǔ): April 19, Grain Rain (The early crops show their shoots.)
立夏 (lìxià): May 5, Beginning of Summer (in southern China)
小满 (xiǎomǎn): May 21, Grain Buds (The seeds of summer crops begin to become plump, but are not yet ripe.)
芒种 (mángzhǒng): June 6, Grain in Ear (The wheat becomes ripe, and the summer planting starts in southern China.)
夏至 (xiàzhì): June 21, Summer Solstice (The daytime is the longest and the nighttime is the shortest of the year.)
小暑 (xiǎoshǔ): July 7, Minor Heat (beginning of the hottest period)
大暑 (dàshǔ): July 23, Major Heat (The duration of the sunshine is the longest, the rainfall is the greatest, and the thunderstorms are the most frequent in some parts of northern China.)
立秋 (lìqiū): August 7, Beginning of Autumn (Nowhere is this true.)
处暑 (chùshǔ): August 23, End of Heat (end of the hot summer)
白露 (báilù): September 7, White Dew (The transition from summer to autumn. The temperature drops sharply, and the autumn rains come.)
秋分 (qiūfēn): September 23, Autumn Equinox (equal length of day and night)
寒露 (hánlù): October 8, Cold Dew (The weather becomes cold enough to reach dew point, but not cold enough to reach frost point.)
霜降 (shuāngjiàng): October 23, Frost’s Descent (The weather becomes cold and frost begins to form in North China.)
立冬 (lìdōng): November 7, Beginning of Winter (true of northern China)
小雪 (xiǎoxuě): November 22, Minor Snow (Snow begins to fall, and the weather becomes cold.)
大雪 (dàxuě): December 7, Major Snow (It snows heavily for the first time in the north.)
冬至 (dōngzhì): December 22, Winter Solstice (The daytime is the shortest and the nighttime is the longest of the year.)
小寒 (xiǎohán): January 5, Minor Cold (The weather rapidly reaches its coldest.)
大寒 (dàhán): January 20, Major Cold (the coldest time of the year.)
* There could be 1-2 day differences regarding the Gregorian calendar. All dates are based on the Northern Hemisphere.
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