Lichun
| Lichun | |||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 立春 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | start of spring | ||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||
| Vietnamese alphabet | lập xuân | ||||||||
| Chữ Hán | 立春 | ||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||
| Hangul | 입춘 | ||||||||
| Hanja | 立春 | ||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||
| Kanji | 立春 | ||||||||
| Hiragana | りっしゅん | ||||||||
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| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | lì chūn |
| Bopomofo | ㄌㄧˋ ㄔㄨㄣ |
| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization | ipchun |
| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Romanization | risshun |
| Longitude | Term | Calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | ||
| 315° | Lichun | 4 – 5 February |
| 330° | Yushui | 18–19 February |
| 345° | Jingzhe | 5 – 6 March |
| 0° | Chunfen | 20–21 March |
| 15° | Qingming | 4 – 5 April |
| 30° | Guyu | 20–21 April |
| Summer | ||
| 45° | Lixia | 5 – 6 May |
| 60° | Xiaoman | 21–22 May |
| 75° | Mangzhong | 5 – 6 June |
| 90° | Xiazhi | 21–22 June |
| 105° | Xiaoshu | 7 – 8 July |
| 120° | Dashu | 22–23 July |
| Autumn | ||
| 135° | Liqiu | 7 – 8 August |
| 150° | Chushu | 23–24 August |
| 165° | Bailu | 7 – 8 September |
| 180° | Qiufen | 23–24 September |
| 195° | Hanlu | 8 – 9 October |
| 210° | Shuangjiang | 23–24 October |
| Winter | ||
| 225° | Lidong | 7 – 8 November |
| 240° | Xiaoxue | 22–23 November |
| 255° | Daxue | 7 – 8 December |
| 270° | Dongzhi | 21–22 December |
| 285° | Xiaohan | 5 – 6 January |
| 300° | Dahan | 20–21 January |
The traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms. Lìchūn, Risshun, Ipchun, or Lập xuân is the 1st solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 315° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 330°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 315°. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around February 4 and ends around February 18 (February 19 East Asia time). It's also the beginning of a Sexagenary cycle.
Source: JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System
Each solar term can be divided into 3 pentads (候). They are: first pentad (初候), second pentad (次候) and last pentad (末候). Pentads in Lichun include:
It is not called the 'winter ice meets the spring wind and melts in the spring wind' thaw, but the 'east wind' thaw, because Lü Shi Chun Qiu said that the east is associated with wood, and wood generates fire, so the air is warm and causes ice to thaw. (凍結于冬遇春風而解散不曰春而曰東者呂氏春秋曰東方屬木木火母也然氣溫故解凍)
Lichun traditionally signifies the beginning of spring in East Asian cultures. Chinese New Year is celebrated around this time. Farmers often celebrate the beginning of Lichun with special village events, worship and offerings to the gods and ceremonies for a blissful and prosperous new year. In China, people eat chūnbǐng (春餅) on this day.
In the lunisolar calendar, New Year's Day might be before or after Lichun. A year without Lichun is called 無春年 (no spring year). 無春年 is also known as 寡婦年 (widow year) in northern China or 盲年 (blind year) in southern China. Marriage is believed to be unlucky in a year without Lichun.
In the Republic of China, Lichun has been Farmer's Day since 1941.
In Singapore, there is a practice of depositing money into bank accounts on Lichun which many believes will bring them good fortune.
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Wikipedia