Contents

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  1. 1 The World’s Principal Calendars
  2. 2 A Lunisolar-cum-Solar Calendar
  3. 2.1 Day
  4. 2.2 Month
  5. 2.3 Year
  6. 2.4 12 Animals 生肖


The World’s Principal Calendars

Together with other 5 calendars, the Chinese Calendar is amongst the 6 main principal calendars in current use which replicate astronomical cycles according to fixed rules.  They are:-

  • Gregorian (Solar)
  • Hebrew  (Lunisolar)
  • Indian (Lunisolar)
  • Chinese (Lunisolar-cum-Solar)
  • Islamic (Lunar)
  • Julian (Solar)


A Lunisolar-cum-Solar Calendar

Many are unaware that the Chinese Calendar comprises of both Moon and Sun influence.  It is a BOTH a Lunisolar and a Solar calendar. A Yin-Yang Calendar 陰陽歷 is its most appropriate term.

It uses the lunar month as the basic unit rather than the solar month. And, it uses the Solar Year to define the length of a year.

This means the correct format of describing a day in the Chinese Calendar is as follows:-

The Correct Format of The Chinese Calendar

Thus, to answer the long & short of my friends’ chat on the post:”Huh? It is already the Metal Tiger Year?“:


Day

There are 12 hours in a day in Chinese calendrical science. Each hour consists of 120minutes (in Gregorian terms). The cycle begins at 11p.m. to 12.59a.m. from Zi子 Hour.

For calendrical purpose, the Day starts at midnight for both Nongli and GanZhi components for the Chinese Calendar. This is a canonical division since early Han Dynasty or even earlier. (read 《左傳》 on this discussion）

Month

The Month of the Chinese Calendar is demarcated by the Lunar cycle.  Hence, the celebration of the CHINESE New Year is thus the First Day of the First Lunar Month of the Year.  This demarcation is term Nian 年 in Chinese calendrical science.

Year

The Qi phase of the New Year is determined by the GanZhi (Solar) component of the Chinese Calendar and it does indicate the location of the Jupiter and Saturn planets for the year.  Thus, technically for those who need to utilise the Qi cycle for a year, it starts from the Solar term for 立春 LiChun or Coming of Spring since Han dynasty for 2000 over years. This is primarily for Qi application esp for weather forecast, for Feng Shui, and in Chinese Medicine

(Will blog more on this as the demarcation of a Year in Chinese Calendar is a complex topic.)

  • The term ‘METAL’ Tiger is derived from the GanZhi or the Solar term segment of the Chinese Calendar. It is a 60-symbol (60-JiaZi) cycle of the location/influence of the Sun, Moon, Earth and the celestial objects bound to the Sun by gravity.


12 Animals 生肖

The 12 Animals were a product of the Imperial courts attempt to educate a mainly illiterate ancient Chinese population who relied on agriculture for their economy.  The animals, by themselves, have no bearing on the destiny of an individual or Qi cycle of any matter.

The GanZhi which gives an accurate indication of the Solar terms and the astronomical effects on Mother Earth’s climatic environment helped the peasants in their farming.

Today, modern people may dispense with this 12 Animals primitive & bias application as the literacy improved and most of us are not peasants.  In fact, the literacy of many farmers today have much improved with some countries using advanced technology for farming!

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