Newcomers to Feng Shui often ask why a particular month of the Chinese calendar does not start with a new moon, but with a different date.
Another regular question for beginners: why is the start date of the New Year according to the Chinese calendar different in different sources, why the New Year is celebrated twice.
The Chinese calendar is a phenomenon about which you can write a separate book.
According to legend, the Chinese agricultural calendar Xia introduced the legendary Yellow Emperor Huang Di more than four and a half thousand years ago. Juan Di is credited with authorship of many classical works, including the fundamental medical treatises "Huang Di Nei Jing » , as well as a short essay in verses “Infujing revered in Taoism.
It is believed that the first year of the Chinese calendar was 2698 (according to other sources - 2697) year BC.
According to another version, for the first 60 years, the Yellow Emperor tested in practice how his system works and began reporting time sixty years later, from 2637 BC.
Chinese calendar - lunar-solar, he made up of lunar and solar cycles - months.
For predictions, Feng Shui and Bazi use the solar calendar in the practice of the Chinese metaphysics, since the Sun has the greatest impact on our lives.
And while the moon is also very important, its influence is less significant.
Features of the Chinese calendar
The ancient Chinese, observing the movement of the stars, stars and planets, compared their influence with the events taking place in people's lives, and were able to create the so-called "agricultural" calendar, or "Calendar Xia." He got this name because he came into use in the era of Xia (21-16 centuries BC)
The Chinese calendar is not just a time tracking method, but a system that describes the movement of time in terms of the five elements (W-Xing).
The Chinese calendar is based on sixty-year cycles, which are represented by a certain combination of ten Heavenly trunks:
- Yang Tree, Yin Tree, Yang Fire, Yin Fire, Yang Earth, Yin Earth, Yang Metal, Yin Metal, Yang Water, Yin Water
and twelve Earthly branches:
- Rat, Bull, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.
That is how the name appears - the year of the Fire Rooster (2017) or the year of the Earth Dog (2018).
In the Chinese calendar there are days, lunar months and seasons, that is, "sunny months", as well as their periods.
Lunar months in the chinese calendar
The lunar month (yue) for the Chinese is the interval from one new moon to another. The new moon in the Chinese calendar refers to the moment of the Moon’s conjunction with the Sun, and not the “young” crescent of the Moon, as in some other systems.
Lunar months in the chinese calendar do not have special names.
They are simply numbered in order, and every third year the 13th lunar month appears.
Therefore, for example, the month of the Rooster (Rats, Bull, Pigs, etc.) is a sunny month, not a moon month, and its beginning is not associated with a new moon!
Depending on the number of days in the lunar month, 29 or 30, the lunar month can be called "small" or "large".
Seasons, or "Sunny Months"
The main difficulty of the Chinese calendar is that in addition to the lunar months ( Yue), there are also solar ( Qi).
The solar month in the Chinese calendar is the period of time during which the sun passes 30 degrees of the tropical zodiac.
Each sunny month (season) consists of two halves. The beginning of the first half (and the whole season) is called “jetsi” (separator). This date is marked in dark color on the calendar (see the figure below).
Therefore, in a year there are 12 seasons and 24 periods *, approximately 15 days each:
- Lichun - The beginning of spring 立春, February 4.
- Yushui - Rainwater 雨水, February 18.
- Jingzhe - Awakening of insects (worms) 惊蛰, March 6.
- Chunfen - Spring Equinox 春分, March 18.
- Qingming - Clear and Bright 清明, April 5th.
- Guyui - Grain Rains 谷雨, April 19th.
- Fox - The beginning of summer 立夏, May 6.
- Xiaoman - Small Sprouts 小满, May 21.
- Manchong - Ears of bread 芒种 June 6th.
- Shyaji - Summer Solstice 夏至, June 21.
- Xiaoshu - Small Heat 小暑, July 7th.
- Dashu - Great Heat 大暑, July 28.
- Face - Beginning of Autumn 立秋, August 8th.
- Chushu - End of heat 处暑, August 23.
- Bailu - White Dew 白露, September 8th.
- Qiufen - Autumnal Equinox 秋分, September 23.
- Hanlu - Cold Dew 寒露, October 8th.
- Shuangjiang - Hoarfrost 霜降, October 23.
- Lidoon - The beginning of winter зимы, November 7th.
- Xiaosue - Small Snows 小雪, November 22.
- Dasyue - Big Snows 大雪, December 7th.
- Dongzhi - Winter Solstice 冬至, December 22.
- Xiaohan - Small Colds 小寒, January 6th.
- Dahan - The Great Colds of 大寒, January 21.
* The exact date of the beginning of the period should be seen in the calendar for a specific year.
Important: The lunar and solar months in the Chinese calendar almost never coincide.
Why is Chinese New Year celebrated twice
The Chinese use the Lichun, Lysya, Litsu and Lidong periods as the beginning of spring, summer, autumn and winter.
“Lee” means “see” or “beginning.”
New Year, significant for the practice of Chinese metaphysics, begins with the onset spring or lichun. This is the beginning of the solar calendar of each year, which falls on February 3-5.
Its date is different from the date of the lunar calendar, in which Chinese New Year, falls on the 1st moon of the 1st month.
Lunar New Year is a public holiday. But more important for us is a sunny New Year!
I am enclosing an example of a traditional Chinese calendar.
Note, darkened cells (dates of the beginning of the solar seasons) almost never coincide with the new moons, or the beginnings of the lunar months.
They can occur on any lunar day. Moreover, they can fall in different lunar months.
So, if in 1975 Qingming “Clear and Light” (04/05/75) fell in the 2nd lunar month, then in 1976 it will fall in the 3rd (4.04.76), it will be the 5th lunar day 3rd lunar month.
Let me remind you that for the purposes of divination, Feng Shui and Bazi, we use the solar Chinese calendar.
In preparing the article, the following materials were used:
- A. Kostenko. The traditional Chinese calendar and its application in metaphysical arts.
- Kryukov M.V. To the problem of cyclic signs in ancient China // Ancient writing systems. Ethnic semiotics.
- Vorobyov A.N. Traditional Chinese calendar.
- Klimishin I. A. Calendar and chronology.
- The knowledge gained from the course “Four Pillars of Fate (Batszy)” by Anatoly Sokolov, whom I am.
So, to summarize what are the features of the Chinese calendar
- The Chinese calendar is a complex phenomenon that takes into account not just dates, but the movement of time in terms of five elements (U-Sin): Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water. It is based on a 60-year cycle, Jia Tzu, which is formed by a certain combination of Heavenly trunks and Earthly branches.
- Chinese calendar - lunar-solar. It consists of days, lunar and solar months (seasons). The solar months are divided into two parts, so in a year there are 12 seasons and 24 periods of about 15 days each.
- In practice, the prophecy, Feng Shui and the Bazaars use the sunny months, and the year is counted from the moment of the beginning of the Lichun sunny season - the beginning of spring 立春.
- The month of the Rooster, Dog (Pig, Dragon, etc.) can only be sunny, since the lunar months have no names, therefore, the beginning of the month is not associated with a new moon.
- Chinese New Year is celebrated twice, according to the solar and lunar calendar. The moment of energy switching, important for practitioners of Chinese metaphysics, is the Sunny New Year. Lunar New Year is a public holiday in China.
You can choose the best solution for your situation at the consultation, read more about which you.
Have questions? Please write them in the comments on this article. I will also be grateful for your response.
Regards and best wishes,
Every year, the number of people interested in oriental culture and traditions of the celebration of the New Year according to the eastern calendar is growing. But how is New Year celebrated in these easternmost countries? We will try to tell you!
1:929For almost all East Asian countries, the New Year on the Eastern calendar is a very important holiday! It is celebrated noisily and on a grand scale.
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The legend of the origin of the eastern calendar
2:97The lunar calendar consists of twelve cycles, each of which has its own animal symbol, but how did these symbols appear? It turns out that Buddha is involved in everything.
2:402 2:407Before leaving the earth, the Buddha decided to collect all the animals and say goodbye to them. Twelve animals came, and in the order in which they came, Buddha gave them each year. As a result, the first year - Rats (cunning), then comes the Bull (hardworking), Tiger (bold), Rabbit (quiet) and Dragon (strong), Snake (wise), Horse (beautiful) and Sheep or Goat (artistic), Monkey (smart), Rooster (bright), Dog (faithful) and Pig (happy)
2:1181 2:1186In addition to the fact that each animal received its own year, it conveyed to the year traits of its character: both positive and negative. It is believed that a person born in the year of a particular animal also adopts these traits. He receives both the strengths and weaknesses of the animal, and he must decide which line of behavior to choose.
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New Year in Asian countries is one of the brightest and longest holidays. Traditionally, red color is also of particular importance during the celebration period.
3:837It is interesting! In the east, the red color symbolizes fire, it drives off failure and misfortune. Asians not only put on red clothes to celebrate the celebration, but also write postcards on red paper, give gifts in red packaging, launch lanterns of desires of this color.
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Chinese New Year lasts, according to Chinese traditions, for fifteen days, and literally means the Spring Festival - Chundze, the meaning of which among the Chinese is reduced to the awakening and flowering of nature after hibernation.
4:426During the Chunjie festival, a joyful and festive atmosphere reigns everywhere.
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Residents shop for their favorite holiday, the new year is the most important event for 1 billion 300 million Chinese. Everywhere, on the streets and in stores, toys and decorations in the shape of a Dragon.
5:1416The Chinese love this holiday and prepare for it in advance: they carefully clean and decorate their homes, while throwing out all the trash from the house, thus freeing up space for wealth and happiness.
5:1750 5:4Chinese New Year Traditions
5:75Special attention is paid to the Chinese oriental traditions, according to which the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom celebrate the Chinese New Year.
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So, for example, the Chinese traditionally celebrate New Year's Eve at home in the circle of their closest people. All family members, no matter how far they live from each other, should gather at a large festive table. New Year's dinner together is as important a tradition of the new year as fireworks are.
6:1348 6:1353Well, on the following holidays, they go to guests where they give each other red envelopes with money. In addition, the pomp and scale of the New Year in China will surprise any visitor. Thousands of fireworks, crackers, and firecrackers, according to the people of China, scare away everything bad, while attracting only the good on the contrary.
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Traditionally, before celebrating the Chinese New Year, you need to thoroughly clean your home. Dirt in the house is a sign of disrespect for the owner of the next year. And if you meet the year of the wooden Goat in an uncleaned house, you do not have to wait for favors from her.
7:973 7:978According to Eastern traditions, the new year cannot be met with debts, otherwise it will be very difficult to give them away.
7:1171 7:1176In the east, red means sun, joy, happiness and protects from evil spirits. Therefore, to meet the Chinese New Year, the house must be decorated in red shades.
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It is favorable to paste on the front door of the house inscriptions of hieroglyphs made with dark paint on a red background, as well as images of guardian spirits and deities of wealth in the hope that they will bring happiness and prosperity to the house.
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Arrange vases with ripe tangerines throughout the house.- they represent wealth and prosperity. Instead of a Christmas tree, many Chinese people buy tangerine trees.
9:1755They are found on the streets, in shops and offices at every turn. In addition to tangerine, the house can be decorated with peach and apricot flowers - they will symbolize new beginnings.
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Traditionally, for the Chinese New Year, they always wear new clothes. This is done so as not to transfer the problems of the outgoing year to the new year.
10:1103 10:1108On this day it is also necessary to show exceptional courtesy with everyone, even with people who are unpleasant to you. In no case should you pronounce any words that are associated with troubles and misfortunes.
10:1502 10:4A rich table for the Chinese New Year is the key to success and prosperity. On the New Year's table should be both traditional oriental dishes: rice - a symbol of wealth, noodles - a symbol of longevity, fish - a symbol of prosperity, and dishes that appease that animal, which is a symbol of the coming year!
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The holiday is accompanied by sticking up paired paper inscriptions on both sides of the entrance to the house, the room is decorated inside with popular New Year's paintings, these images contain wishes for happiness in the future. In the past, this custom, like the launch of crackers, was considered an effective way to expel evil spirits and cleanse the house of evil spirits. Later, gluing luboks entered the festive ritual of the Chinese, and is now very popular in the country.
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On the night before the holiday, called "chushi", the whole family gathers together. A bountiful gala dinner is arranged, after which the performance of famous artists is watched on TV, discussions are held on various topics, games. In many families, young people do not go to bed all night, this is called a "show sui" - the expectation of the New Year.
12:1106 12:1111The next morning, many families eat jiaozi dumplings, dumplings resemble traditional ingots of gold and silver in their form and symbolize the desire for wealth.
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After breakfast, you are supposed to go around the house of relatives and friends with congratulations and a wish for all the best. On the first day of the New Year, relatives and friends, friends and colleagues visit each other and give gifts.
14:895 14:900Adults give small money to children, wrapped in red paper, which symbolizes the desire for prosperity for the family and the successful development of the child.
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Also associated with this custom is a legend, that once in the city of Jiaxing there were spouses who only gave birth to one child in old age. The couple was afraid that the evil spirit of “sui” would not kill their baby, and decided to watch the whole New Year’s night at the child’s bed. They prepared some coins for the baby and began to teach him how to wrap them with red paper, but after all they were tired and quickly fell asleep. A red bag of coins was put near the pillow of the baby. The night has come. And the evil spirit began to sneak up on the child, but when he decided to stroke the child, suddenly a golden ray burst from the bag of coins. The spirit was very frightened and ran away.
15:1128 15:1133Although today no one pays attention to whether there is an evil spirit "sui", on New Year's Eve adults still give children money for happiness.
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On the days of the Spring Festival, mass performances are held: dancing of lions, dancing of dragons, round dances of "land boats", performances on stilts.
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In the old days, New Year's celebrations lasted more than a month.With the acceleration of the rhythm of life, there can be no talk of such long holidays, however, it was precisely at this time in China that one of the three “golden weeks” of the calendar year fell — seven continuous days off.
17:1272 17:1279A new fashion for gifts appears. Previously, the Chinese gave each other cigarettes, spirits, food. Today, fresh flowers, a subscription to a sports club, and lottery tickets are a good gift.
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Congratulations are changing. Personal visits and greeting cards are being replaced by phone calls, emails and postcards over the Internet.
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After the noisy New Year, the Chinese will celebrate another traditional Yuanxiao festival, the Lantern Festival.
18:1032During which, it is customary to feast on pies made from sticky flour with sweet filling and candied fruit, as well as admire the light of lanterns lit at night. The festival of lanterns and ends the period of New Year in China.
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Believe it or not, oriental traditions, follow them or not, each person decides for himself. But we see nothing reprehensible in learning more about the traditions of our closest neighbors, and on the eve of the new year try to do something according to the rules and bring the celebration to an organized system. In any case, at least feeding the symbol of the coming year will definitely not be superfluous.
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Chinese New Year is another holiday that comes immediately after our traditional festival. It is known that the Chinese New Year does not have a fixed date and is celebrated every year at different times - the year of the Fire Rooster begins on January 28, at exactly 4 hours and 8 minutes in the night in Tbilisi time.
Celebration date
Chinese New Year has an erratic date because it is entirely dependent on the lunar calendar. Chinese New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, December 21. Annually this holiday can fall on one of the days in the interval from January 21 to February 21.
It is also a day marked by prayers for the environment, reminding us that we are good servants of the world around us. Justinian's Novellins decided that all official documents of the Empire should include a reference to the definition. When you are trying to publish manuscripts from this era, it is useful to know the year of display, since exact dates or years are less common.
Harvest, Thanksgiving and Sowing
Anno Mundi served as the starting point for calendars before the modern era in many parts of the world and is still a liturgical landmark for both modern Judaism and Christians. As preparation for the winter has been made, so is preparation for the coming year.
The new year according to the Chinese calendar 2017 will come on January 28th. More precisely, 2017 will be Gregorian, but according to the Chinese calendar, we will meet the year 4715, which will come under the sign of the Fire Rooster and will last until February 15, 2018, when it will be replaced by the year of the Yellow Dog.
As noted
On New Year's holidays, people go to visit each other with congratulations, gifts in the form of money in red envelopes, and necklaces of coins and tangerines, as a symbol of wealth.
For Christians, it was a time of thanksgiving, remembering the good weather and heavy rain that the Lord provided for this year's harvest, which we pray at every Divine Liturgy. This brings parallels to the Feast of Trumpets for the pre-educated people of God.
Chinese New Year traditions and signs
And the Lord said to Moses: Speak with the sons of Israel, saying: the seventh month, the first month of the month, will be your peace, a memorial of trumpets; This will be a holy meeting for you. You will not do slave labor, and you will offer a burnt offering to the Lord. Celebrating the New Year during the harvest, we recall each year our dependence on the hard work and blessings of God. Going beyond material wealth and healthy cultures, this refers to imperial problems, including prayers for protection from our enemies.
During the whole New Year celebration in China, fun festivals, fairs, costume dances and masquerade street processions are held. In anticipation of the New Year, the people of China are changing their old clothes for new ones, thoroughly cleaning their homes so that favorable energy can freely circulate in it and not stagnate. During cleaning, they throw out all the trash and unnecessary things accumulated over the year.
You, who created everything in His infinite wisdom and set the times by His own power, bestow on your victories the Christian people. And given the increasing natural disasters, droughts, floods, forest fires, hurricanes and hunger, we must be more attentive in this modern age of technology and abundance in order to pray for such things - no less.
We have not developed our way out of dependence on God. In any case, the more our abilities increase, the more we show the need for God's mercy and mercy. And this leads to my last point: Church New Year is a day marked by prayers for caring for the environment.
Accordingly, they prepare holiday treats. A favorite dish is dumplings, their shape resembling an ingot of gold - a symbol of wealth. Often houses are decorated with tangerines, always eight pieces - a number symbolizing infinity.
Fire rooster
The Year of the Fire Rooster promises to be a truly memorable event. The Chinese advise on the eve of the holiday not to buy new shoes, not to cut their hair, because according to their assurances that they violated these rules, misfortunes await. It is interesting that on the night before the New Year, the Chinese do not sleep, because in this way they protect themselves from troubles, illnesses and troubles for the whole next year.
Bartholomew is affectionately called the "green patriarch," and he often appears in the international arena with regard to the protection of Creativity. And that all makes sense. The beginning of the New Year for centuries marked the beginning of the world. This is the day of God's grace for a bountiful harvest. It is a day that recognizes God's protection and providence for the world, along with our responsibility and governance towards that.
This all returns to the history of Creativity itself, and a story in which humanity, represented by Adam and Eve, receives enormous responsibility for caring for every living creature. The restoration of peace between humanity and the created order lies at the basis of redemption and deification, and this, ultimately, is what the New Spiritual New Year means.
The cock is bright and demonstrative, elegant and sociable. However, in addition to the animal itself, it is also necessary to know the color and element of the 2017 patron sign. The element, as well as the color of the Rooster, directly affects what 2017 will be for each person.
Asian countries celebrate the New Year not like we do, but something in common is present in both cultures. Following the traditions of the celebration of the New Year on the eastern calendar, you can bring happiness, wealth and good fortune into your life.
Mary's Christmas Nativity is the first Great Holiday of the year, while her Assumption or “falling asleep” is the last. In this cycle, we see the incarnation of the God-man Jesus Christ at the heart of our history as the people of God. And between these two landmarks, we have this holiday, which at first glance may seem like a peculiar or even inappropriate relic from the Roman Empire.
Rather, the Church New Year is the foundation of our entire liturgical life every year. We thank what the Lord has done and ask for his mercy and protection for the coming days. We take a moment to consider our influence on the world around us, and whether our actions will come from the hearts of selfishness or the hearts of compassion. This is a holiday that points to the very essence of Christ's message of true Christian spirituality: prayer, fasting and alms. Prayers for blessings, seen and invisible, starving for peace and our own mortification, and alms for the care of others.
Every year more and more people ask themselves: when will the New Year come according to the Eastern calendar? The reason for the interest lies in traditions that are largely similar to ours, but have some extremely interesting differences. Knowing how it is customary to celebrate this holiday with residents of Asian countries, you can better understand the roots of the New Year on the eastern calendar.
Celebration in Russia
Self-sacrifice and promise, beauty and restraint. So open a bottle of champagne and give your petitions to the Lord. In many places, the monthly lengths immediately after this change were not recorded, but instead were based on observation of the sky. Was the astronomy priest instructed to announce when the new month began? it was usually said that it began with the first appearance of a new moon. The length of the month at this time was simply the number of days elapsed from one new lunar crescent to the next.
In those years in Rome, for example, the Pontiff observed the sky and announced a new moon and, therefore, a new month for the king. For centuries, the Romans referred to the first day of each new month as Calends or Calends from their word Kalare. The word calendar comes from this custom.
When the New Year comes according to the eastern calendar
In the eastern countries of Asia there is no fixed date for celebrating the New Year: the holiday is celebrated on the first New Moon after the winter Solstice. Rest lasts an average of 15 days.
The common leitmotif of the New Year according to the Eastern calendar is the obligatory presence of red, fireworks, crackers and loud laughter: it is believed that with their help you can drive out evil spirits that bring trouble in the coming year.
This practice of the beginning of the month at the first observation of the new moon was observed not only by the Romans, but also by the Celts and Germans in Europe, as well as by the Babylonians and Jews in Lavant. All these nations began their month when a young crescent moon first appeared in the sky. This is still done for the Islamic calendar, but the date of the new moon is calculated for the traditional lunar calendars that are currently used in China and India.
During the period when the length of the month was not fixed, new moons were usually observed after 29 or 30 days. If on the thirtieth day the clouds obscured the vision, a new month appeared. When the monthly lengths were identical with the lunations, only those that lasted 30 days were considered normal. This was probably due to the fact that for such long periods of time all the months earlier were 30 days.
Red color is a symbol of wealth and prosperity, therefore, it is present not only in the decorations of streets and houses, but also in gift wraps, clothes and interior. In red envelopes they give money everywhere: it is believed that the color of the package will increase the wealth of the person presented. But white and blue colors are strictly prohibited and can be perceived as extremely inappropriate, because these two colors are mourning in Asian countries.
When does Chinese New Year begin and when does it end
During this period in Greece, for example, the months that consisted of 30 days were considered “complete”; those that lasted only 29 days were considered "empty." Months containing 30 days were also called “full” in Babylon, but those containing 29 were considered “defective”.
After the monthly lengths in the Celtic calendar became fixed, those that were given 30 days were called “matos”, and those that gave 29 days “tomatoes”. This concept still exists today, the months of 30 days in the Hebrew calendar are called “complete”, and those that are considered “imperfect”.
New Year's traditions
Each of the 15 holidays has its own unique schedule that allows you to cover all areas of life at the very beginning of the year and not spend this time ineptly. Residents of Asian countries relate to this holiday the same way we do: it is considered family, and even distant relatives come to the common hearth to celebrate the New Year together.
When was the ancient new year?
In addition to their announcement of the beginning of each month, based on observation of the new moon, astronomical priests were also tasked with determining the beginning of the year. Watching the movement of Sirius, the Egyptians were faced with the fact that the year was more than five days longer than their venerable 360-day calendar. This led to a change in their method of approximating the length of the year, which has been used for almost a millennium. But it also made them wonder where the extra days came from.
Instead, they returned to a fixed-length calendar that had 12 months of 30 days each, but with an addition of five days at the end. 10. Usually a date later than in the middle of the eighth century, many other peoples who previously considered the year to be 360 \u200b\u200bdays reluctantly returned to the calendar of twelve 30-day months, but added five days to the end of their year. These extra days were considered very unsuccessful or unacceptable.
Day 1: New Year's Eve is celebrated with family, symbolically burning bamboo chopsticks. After - a long family dinner, filled with laughter and fun, fireworks, crackers and mass celebrations. On this day, it is customary to come to the cemetery and honor the memory of the deceased relatives.
The two eastern Mediterranean peoples who did not accept Islam were the early Christians in upper Egypt, which we now call the Copts and their neighbors in the south, Ethiopians. Probably because they were surrounded by Islamic peoples, the Coptic and Ethiopian churches never adopted the western calendar. Instead, these two isolated pockets of Christianity continued to use the old 360-day calendar.
The two calendars are identical, except for the year number. Both of them observe three 365-day years, followed by one 366-day year. Their years are divided into 12 months of 30 days each, and an additional five or six days are added after the twelfth month. B. with the birth of its founder, the prophet Zoroaster, use the calendar 365 days. It consists of twelve 30-day months with five gatha days added at the end of the year. Each of the thirty days, as well as each of the days of gatha, has its own name.
Day 2: On the morning of the second day, the whole family embarks on a common prayer in which they ask for well-being for the whole year, prudence, wisdom and health. After this, a detour of loved ones begins with the obligatory delivery of a cash gift in a red envelope. Also on this day it is customary to welcome the poor and to give alms.
Days 3 and 4: This period of the celebration of the New Year on the Eastern calendar is dedicated to friends and acquaintances: communication with friends strengthens ties and helps to continue communication in the New Year. Do not come to visit someone if invited, is considered a refusal from further friendship.
They are referred to by this name in the same way as we talk about a day by its number in a month. One of the generals of Alexander the Great, Seleuk Nikator, founded an empire that extended from Asia Minor to India. He set up a new calendar, which was essentially the same as the one that had been used for some time in Syria. It contained twelve months of 30 days each and an additional five days at the end of the year. Every fourth year an additional day for six days was added at the end of the year.
In Persia under the Sassanids, as well as in Armenia and Cappadocia, the official time frame was twelve months 30 days, and then another five days at the end of the year. However, Arab astronomers said the Sassanian year of the twelve 30-day months was seasonally adjusted, intercalating the month every 120 years.
Days 5 and 6: At this time, business organizations begin to resume their work, but the day necessarily begins with fireworks. On energy, the 5th and 6th days of the New Year are considered the time of wealth and material values, so many conduct traditional rituals for wealth and money.
Water solves water in great abundance from the river, although no one saw it. The ancient Babylonians used a calendar with alternating 29- and 30-day months. This system required the addition of an additional month three times every eight years, and as an additional adjustment, the king periodically ordered the addition of an additional additional month to the calendar.
The Babylonians, who lived in what is now Iraq, added an extra month to their years at irregular intervals. Their calendar, consisting of alternate 29-day and 30-day months, was roughly in order with the lunar year. To balance the calendar with the sunny year, the early Babylonians calculated that they needed to add an extra month three times every eight years. But this system still has not exactly made up for the accumulated differences between the solar year and the lunar year.
Day 7: The morning of the seventh day also begins with prayer, but unlike the second day, it is often carried out alone. Prayer for the well-being of relatives, the health of older relatives and the right path for children is considered the obligatory beginning of the holiday: this time is devoted to the soul.
Days 8, 9 and 10: As a rule, by this time all people are already returning to work, but they must spend three evenings at a family dinner with their family. This is the time of traditional New Year's cuisine, intimate conversations and plans for the coming year.
Day 11: This day is dedicated to the kinship between father-in-law and son-in-law. Each father-in-law arranges a personal celebration for his son-in-law and spends time with his daughter's husband, paying tribute to him.
| Eastern calendar
Oriental (Chinese) calendar of zodiac signs.
The eastern calendar, which has been in force for several thousand years in Vietnam, Kampuchea, China, Korea, Mongolia, Japan and some other Asian countries, was compiled during the semi-legendary emperor Huangdi in the middle of the third millennium BC. The eastern calendar is a 60 year cyclic system. It is based on the astronomical cycles of the Sun, Earth, Moon, Jupiter and Saturn. The 60-year cycle includes the 12-year jupiter and 30-year saturn cycles. The most important for the life of nomads, and in those days the main peoples of the East were nomadic tribes, the 12-year period of Jupiter was considered. Ancient Chinese and Japanese believed that the normal movement of Jupiter brings benefits and virtues.
Dividing the path of Jupiter into twelve equal parts and giving each part the name of a specific animal, the peoples of Asia created a solar-jupiter 12-year calendar cycle. Legend has it that all animals were invited by the Buddha to celebrate the first New Year. Buddha promised the animals to present for the whole year, which will be called by their name. Only 12 animals came to the invitation of the Buddha - a rat, a bull, a tiger, a rabbit, a dragon, a snake, a horse, a sheep, a monkey, a rooster, a dog. The last to meet Buddha was the pig.
According to another legend, Buddha called animals before leaving the earth. Say goodbye to Buddha, came a rat, a bull, a tiger, a rabbit, a dragon, a snake, a horse, a sheep, a monkey, a rooster, a dog and a pig. The grateful Buddha gave these 12 animals one year of reign.
The eastern calendar begins with the year of the rat and ends with the year of the pig. In the East, it is widely believed that these animals have the ability to endow certain traits of the one who was born in this year of the animal, both good and bad.
For sixty years, Jupiter makes five revolutions. This number corresponded to the worldview of Chinese natural philosophy. The number five was a symbol of the five elements of nature - wood, fire, metal (gold), water, earth, which correspond to color designations (blue, red, yellow, white, black).
The Chinese sixtieth year was formed as a result of the combination of the dodecimal cycle ("earthly branches"), each year of which the name of the animal was fixed, and the decimal cycle "elements" ("heavenly branches"): five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) , each of which corresponded to two cyclic signs, representing the male and female principles (therefore, in the Chinese calendar there are successive years corresponding to different animals, but one element).
12 animals, 5 elements - from here the cycle of the eastern calendar is 60 years. This cycle begins with the year of the Wooden Rat and ends with the year of the Water Pig. The next 60-year cycle of the eastern calendar began on February 2, 1984. Animal years are repeated every 12 years, and the elements - every 10 years.
The choice of these planets when creating the eastern calendar is explained by the fact that the Sun affects the development of the human spirit, the Moon affects the physical development of the body, Jupiter controls the behavior of people in public life, and the planet Saturn forms the individual characteristics of a person.
Recently, the eastern calendar has become increasingly popular in Russia. There is no permanent date for the eastern new year. According to the Eastern calendar, New Year begins on the first new moon, occurring in the zodiac sign Aquarius. The sun enters the sign of Aquarius on January 20 or 21, and ends on February 18. Therefore, the New Year according to the Eastern calendar begins in the period from January 20 to February 18, at which time one fabulous animal transfers the reins of government to another.
Signs of the eastern calendar.
Years of the animal on the eastern calendar.
| Animal name | Year of birth of people, year of the animal according to the Eastern calendar with | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.01.1936 | 10.02.1948 | 28.01.1960 | 15.02.1972 | 02.02.1984 | 19.02.1996 | 07.02.2008 | ||||
| 11.02.1937 | 29.01.1949 | 15.02.1961 | 03.02.1973 | 20.02.1985 | 07.02.1997 | 26.01.2009 | ||||
| 31.01.1938 | 17.02.1950 | 05.02.1962 | 23.01.1974 | 09.02.1986 | 28.01.1998 | 14.02.2010 | ||||
| 19.02.1939 | 06.02.1951 | 25.01.1963 | 11.02.1975 | 29.01.1987 | 16.02.1999 | 03.02.2011 | ||||
| 08.02.1940 | 27.01.1952 | 13.02.1964 | 31.01.1976 | 17.02.1988 | 05.02.2000 | 23.01.2012 | ||||
| 27.01.1941 | 14.02.1953 | 02.02.1965 | 18.02.1977 | 06.02.1989 | 24.01.2001 | 10.02.2013 | ||||
| 15.02.1942 | 03.02.1954 | 21.01.1966 | 07.02.1978 | 27.01.1990 | 12.02.2002 | 31.01.2014 | ||||
| 05.02.1943 | 24.01.1955 | 09.02.1967 | 28.01.1979 | 15.02.1991 | 01.02.2003 | 10.02.2015 | ||||
| 25.01.1944 | 12.02.1956 | 30.01.1968 | 16.02.1980 | 04.02.1992 | 22.01.2004 | 08.02.2016 | ||||
| 13.02.1945 | 31.01.1957 | 17.02.1969 | 05.02.1981 | 23.01.1993 | 09.02.2005 | 28.01.2017 | ||||
| 02.02.1946 | 18.02.1958 | 27.01.1970 | 25.02.1982 | 10.02.1994 | 29.01.2006 | 16.02.2018 | ||||
| 22.01.1947 | 08.02.1959 | 27.01.1971 | 13.02.1983 | 31.01.1995 | 18.02.2007 | 05.02.2019 | ||||
In the countries of the East it is very common in which the years are combined into twelve-year cycles, just as in the Western horoscope a year is divided into twelve zodiac constellations. Each year in the eastern calendar is called an animal. People born this year are assigned the qualities inherent in this animal, according to life observations and eastern mythology.
Every twelve years the cycle repeats and the animal returns, but this is not quite that animal, because in the full circle of the eastern horoscope there are five different Rats, Bulls, Tigers, etc. The animal remains, but it changes.
Elements of the signs of the eastern calendar.
The eastern calendar assumes the presence, each element corresponds to a certain color. Elements change in the following order: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Thus, the cycle repeats itself in 60 years.
You can determine your element by the last digit of the year of your birth:
“4” or “5” - Tree (color green, blue)
"6" or "7" - Fire (color red, pink)
“8” or “9” - Earth (yellow, lemon, ocher)
“0” or “1” - Metal (white color)
“2” or “3” - Water (black, blue)
Each of the elements slightly changes the animal that personifies the year, giving it a peculiar shade. For example, the Fiery Goat - active, active, possessing creative abilities, differs from the Earth Goat - a restrained, dry realist, busy with earthly, practical matters.
You can use the eastern horoscope to improve mutual understanding with your family, relatives and friends, identifying their signs and elements, and therefore, understanding the deep essence and motives of actions. Animal signs will help determine the prospects of relations between people (friendship, love or business).
Better to start with the general characteristics of the animal sign.
Even more accurate data can be obtained by determining the animal sign of the hour of birth. According to Chinese astrology, the day is divided into 12 periods, each of which corresponds to a certain animal sign. This means that a person born at the time of an animal will have the features of this sign. Here are the correspondence of the time of birth to animal signs:
23.00 - 01.00 - Rat time
01.00 - 03.00 - time of the Bull
03.00 - 05.00 - Tiger time
05.00 - 07.00 - Rabbit time
07.00 - 09.00 - Dragon time
09.00 - 11.00 - Snake time
11.00 - 13.00 - time of the Horse
13.00 - 15.00 - Sheep time
15.00 - 17.00 - Monkey time
17.00 - 19.00 - time of the Rooster
19.00 - 21.00 - Dog time
21.00 - 23.00 - time of the Boar
Signs of the eastern calendar.
Chinese astrologers subdivide all animal signs into four groups (three in each). It is generally accepted that people born under the signs of the same group have similar characteristics that determine the course of their thoughts, which ultimately allows them to get along well with each other, support each other and get along together. This does not mean at all that they have the same character or actions, just the innate features of their personalities successfully complement each other and contribute to the disclosure of the best sides of other people from the same group. It is noted that partnership, friendship and especially marriages between those born under the signs of the same group are most successful.
Competitors -, and. All these signs are very inclined to rivalry and decisive action. Rats need Dragon’s self-confidence and courage, as extremely insecure. In turn, the Dragon is too direct and sometimes he just needs the quick wits of the Rat or even the trick of the Monkey. The latter highly value the intellect of the Rat and the Dragon's enthusiasm.
Intellectuals -, and. People belonging to these signs are great pragmatists, strong personalities, often endowed with great abilities, self-confident, purposeful and decisive. Among them are thinkers and seers. The bull is constant and solid, but it is favorably affected by the brightness of the Rooster and the charm and dexterity of the Snake. The directness of the Rooster is balanced by the diplomatic Snake or the self-confident Bull, and the Snake, with all its ambition, can reach great heights if the Bull or the Rooster promotes it.
Independent -, and. These people - emotional, impulsive, restless and extremely principled - are a kind of "free spirits" of the Chinese zodiac. A horse is a born strategist, but to translate something into reality, she needs a decisive Dog or an impulsive Tiger. He can give an outlet to the restlessness of the Horse, while only the Dog can calm her. The tiger will also benefit from communication with the Dog - its constant good nature will keep him from excessive cruelty.
Diplomats - (Cat), and. People of these signs are restrained, unsophisticated, are not great intellectuals, they are not attracted to risk. But they are modest and responsive, sociable and sensitive, tenderly care about each other and are always happy to do something pleasant. The Rabbit's foresight balances the Sheep's generosity, and the latter needs a sense of the priorities that the Rabbit gives her. The power of the Boar complements the condescending character of the Sheep and the strategic thinking of the Rabbit.
The signs of the eastern calendar are often depicted in a circle in a certain order, sometimes compass directions are marked on it. Looking at such a circle, it is easy to notice that each sign is directly opposite the other sign. These are antagonistic signs, and they are considered completely incompatible! There are six such pairs, and within each pair an astrological conflict invariably develops. The causes of these conflicts are deeply rooted in the nature of people born under opposite signs; they are involuntary and are manifested mainly in the way they react to the surrounding reality and other people. These pairs are:
The validity of these observations is confirmed, among other things, by the fact that in China, parents, as a rule, do not approve of marriages of children with people 6 years older or younger. They are well aware that conflicts and insoluble problems will necessarily arise in such a union, and therefore in love this incompatibility is very dangerous to ignore. Friendship, which in most cases is not harmed by astrological conflicts, is another matter. friends usually don’t live together. In business, however, incompatibility can also hinder, because completely different people in this case are forced to spend a large amount of time side by side day after day.
Do not despair if the results of the analysis of relationships according to the eastern horoscope are disappointing; pay attention to signs and elements corresponding to the month and hour of birth, as under their influence, the characteristic features of a person’s personality can both weaken and intensify.
In China, they say that if the fate destined for a person from above cannot be changed, then his share can be improved. They believe in the unity of "tyan", "ty" and "zhen" (heaven, earth and man), which means that the two components of a happy fate - earthly luck and human (the third - heavenly luck) - are in the hands of man himself.
To get acquainted with the customs of the holiday, and also to learn about how and when the New Year according to the Eastern calendar 2019 will be celebrated in China, a brief review, prepared by authoritative experts on Chinese traditions, will help.
A few facts from the history of the Chinese New Year
Unlike the “European calendar” familiar to Russians, China has its own “system” of reckoning, according to which each New Year is protected by a certain zodiac constellation, named after one of the 12 totem animals. It is from the morals of this or that “patron,” according to the beliefs of our eastern neighbors, what the next 365-day period will depend on.
In addition, the Eastern calendar is a special astrological “guidebook” that gives people a lot of useful recommendations. For example, with its help, you can find out how and what a person should do in different periods of the year in order to enlist the support of heavenly bodies. Oriented by the Eastern calendar, the people of China calculate the favorable time for travel, wedding dates and even the period of conception of children. Based on the "mood" of the totem, superstitious residents of eastern countries plan such important "steps" as:
- apparatus employed;
- purchase of housing;
- negotiations and contracting with business partners.
Of course, such behavior may be surprising for many Europeans, however, and among them there are many who often look at the Eastern calendar before making certain responsible decisions.
What date is the Chinese New Year?
If in Europe and the countries of the Western Hemisphere the New Year is celebrated on the night of January 31st to January 1st, then it is celebrated at the Celestial Empire at completely different times. In the latter case, the holiday date directly depends on the lunar calendar changes. In the PRC, as well as in most states of Southeast Asia, this holiday is celebrated when the second new moon arrives, namely in the interval between December 21st and February 20th. In 2019, the date of the Chinese New Year falls on the 5th of the last winter month.
Year of the Pig on the Eastern calendar
As mentioned earlier, simultaneously with the passage of a full circle of planets around the Sun, the “patron" of the year will also be replaced. The legitimate “heir” of the Dog will be the Yellow Earth Pig. As a rule, along with the “animal totem” such a factor as the element changes. However, this does not happen annually. Therefore, as in the current year, the Earth will remain the dominant element of 2019. It is also noteworthy that each of the five elements of the Eastern calendar corresponds to a certain color scheme:
- Fire is red;
- Water is black;
- Air is white;
- Earth is yellow;
- The tree is blue.
Considering that the “favorite” color of the Pig is yellow, then you should celebrate the New Year in dresses made in earthy shades. Acceptable are brown, mustard or neutral - white, beige and cream colors. According to the Chinese, the totem’s mood will largely depend on this factor. Also, do not disappoint Khryusha with reckless and rash acts. Being a careful animal, the Pig loves balance and consistency in any endeavors. By following these recommendations, you can fully enlist the support of celestial bodies and protect yourself from failures in the professional and personal spheres of life.
With different signs of the zodiac, the Pig has a special relationship. Generally speaking, the greatest “location” of the Yellow Earth Pig will be given to those people who are engaged in agricultural business, including the agricultural business. In 2019, representatives of this field of activity can safely conclude agreements with new business partners. Almost any such project will be profitable and bring considerable profits to its applicants.
Holiday traditions in China
Despite the passage of centuries, the Chinese sacredly preserve and honor the customs of the New Year. In each province of this eastern country there are traditions characteristic of them only for this wonderful holiday. As for the general tendencies of celebrating the celebration, they are contained in several "canonical" rules.
Starting a festive meal, the Chinese always put on clothes in which there are elements of red. According to ancient beliefs, this shade is frightened off by evil spirits who want to harm the owners of the house.
Invited to the New Year's dinner, guests without fail bring with them two ripe tangerines, which symbolize peace, happiness, prosperity and family well-being.
No matter how much the New Year celebrations begin, cleaning is prohibited on the first day of the New Year. Adherents of Chinese traditions believe that sweeping the floor in the house or taking out the garbage can drive good luck out of it.
When the first day of the New Year begins, many Chinese people hang multi-colored paper tapes on the windows that protect their homes from damage and attract material well-being, health and happiness for the whole coming year.
Beautiful congratulations on Chinese New Year:
