Twenty-four solar terms were formulated by people in ancient times according to the change of the position of the earth on the ecliptic (that is, the orbit of the earth around the sun), and each solar term corresponds to the climate law that the sun reaches a certain position every time it moves15 on the ecliptic. The earth's orbit around the sun was named "ecliptic" by the ancients, also known as "solar ecliptic". The ecliptic was divided into 24 parts in equal proportion, and the interval between them was15, which formed 24 solar terms.

The 24 solar terms are actually 24 seasonal points, 2 per month. The twenty-four solar terms take one cycle of the earth's revolution around the sun as a reincarnation, which basically summarizes the different positions of the sun on the ecliptic at different times of the year, the exact time of cold coming and summer going, the laws of natural phenomena such as rainfall and snowfall, and the moments when some phenological phenomena in nature are recorded.

The start date of the twenty-four solar terms in the dry calendar in China is almost the same as that in the international Gregorian calendar, with a difference of at most one or two days, which is precisely because the dry calendar, like the Gregorian calendar, is based on the fact that the earth revolves around the sun once a year. The trunk calendar is a calendar marked with 60 different groups of heavenly stems and earthly branches.

The discipline of cadres and branches takes beginning of spring as the beginning of the year and the festival as the beginning of the month. It is divided into twelve months by twenty-four solar terms, each month contains two solar terms, and there is no leap month. The dry calendar is related to the periodic motion of the earth around the sun, and its year, month and day are all determined by the apparent motion of the sun, and have nothing to do with the lunar phase. However, it is different from the usual solar calendar (such as the Gregorian calendar), the length of which is artificially regulated and has nothing to do with the astronomical phenomena, so it is a solar calendar with China characteristics. Since ancient times, the dry calendar is still popular in books such as the perpetual calendar, which is used in astrology, geomantic omen and numerology. ?

The significance of the twenty-four solar terms

Twenty-four solar terms are not only the time criterion promulgated by the government in past dynasties, but also the compass to guide agricultural production, and the compass for people to predict cold, warm, snowy and rainy days in daily life. Twenty-four solar terms accurately reflect the seasonal changes and are used to guide agricultural activities, affecting the food, clothing, housing and transportation of thousands of households. The twenty-four solar terms scientifically reveal the laws of astronomical and meteorological changes.

Twenty-four solar terms skillfully combine astronomy, agriculture, phenology and folk customs, and derive a large number of related seasonal cultures, which have become an important part of Chinese traditional culture.

In the long farming society, the twenty-four solar terms have played an important role in guiding agricultural activities, and have rich cultural connotations. Some important solar terms such as beginning of spring, Winter Solstice and Qingming also have interesting folk customs such as "biting spring" and "hiking".

Extended data:

Characteristics of solar terms

spring

Beginning of spring: Fighting refers to Yin; The solar ecliptic is 3 15 degrees. Standing means beginning, and beginning of spring is the beginning of spring. Gregorian calendar February 3-5.

Rain: fighting fingers; The solar meridian is 330. The rain began, and it increased gradually. Gregorian calendar, February1August-20.

Stunned: fighting with fingers; The solar meridian is 345. Sting means hiding. Sting refers to the sudden movement of spring thunder, which awakens the animals dormant in the soil and hibernating. Gregorian calendar on March 05-07.

Vernal equinox: fighting fingers; The solar meridian is 0. Divide means divide equally. The vernal equinox means that day and night are equally divided. Gregorian calendar on March 20-22.

Qingming: fighting refers to Ding; The solar ecliptic is15. The weather is sunny and lush. Gregorian calendar on April 04-06.

Grain Rain: Fighting fingers; The solar meridian is 30. Rain gives birth to hundreds of valleys. With sufficient and timely rainfall, cereal crops can thrive. Gregorian calendar in April19-21day.

summer

Long summer: refers to the southeast; The solar meridian is 45. The beginning of summer. Gregorian calendar may 05-07.

Xiaoman: fighting nails; The solar meridian is 60. The seeds of summer crops such as wheat began to be full. Gregorian calendar may 20-27.

Mangzhong: fighting refers to yourself; The solar meridian is 75. Crops with awns, such as wheat, mature. Gregorian calendar on June 05-07.

Summer solstice: bucket refers to B; The solar meridian is 90. Hot summer is coming. Gregorian calendar on June 21-22.

Small summer heat: fighting refers to Xin; The solar ecliptic is105. Summer heat means hot; A slight summer heat is when the climate starts to get hot. Gregorian calendar on July 06-08.

Great summer heat: fighting refers to C; The solar ecliptic is120. The hottest time of the year. Gregorian calendar on July 22-24. ?

autumn

Beginning of autumn: refers to the southwest; The solar ecliptic is135. The beginning of autumn. Gregorian calendar on August 07-09.

Summer: fighting fingers; The solar ecliptic is150. Place means to stop and hide. Summer is the end of a hot summer day. Gregorian calendar on August 22-24.

White dew: fighting fingers; The solar ecliptic is165. The weather turned cold, dewy and white. Gregorian calendar on September 07-09.

Autumnal equinox: the bucket refers to itself; The solar ecliptic is180. Divide the day and night equally. Gregorian calendar on September 22-24.

Cold dew: fighting nails; The solar ecliptic is195. Dew is cold and will freeze. Gregorian calendar1October 08-09.

First frost: Fighting fingers; The solar ecliptic is 210. It's getting colder and frosty. Gregorian calendar1October 23-24.

winter

Beginning of winter: Fighting refers to the northwest; The solar meridian is 225. The beginning of winter. Gregorian calendar 1 1 month 7-8.

Xiaoxue: Fighting refers to yourself; The solar meridian is 240. It means it begins to snow. Gregorian calendar 1 1 month 22-23.

Heavy snow: fighting fingers; The solar meridian is 255. With the increase of snowfall, there may be snow on the ground. Gregorian calendar1February 6-8.

Winter solstice: fighting fingers; The solar meridian is 270. The cold winter is coming. Gregorian calendar1February 21-23.

Slight cold: fighting fingers; The solar meridian is 285. The climate began to get cold. Gregorian calendar 1 month 5-7.

Great cold: fighting refers to ugliness; The solar longitude is 300. The coldest time of the year. Gregorian calendar 1 month 20-21day.

social influence

Twenty-four specific festivals representing seasonal changes in the Ganzhi calendar were established in ancient times. The Han Dynasty absorbed 24 solar terms to guide the supplementary calendar of farming, which is said to be based on the time series changes of astronomical phenomena, temperature, precipitation and phenology in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. For other parts of China, the situation described by the same solar term may be very different. But in fact, although "Sili" can reflect the climate characteristics of the four distinct seasons in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, the specific climate significance of "Sili" is not significant.

In climatology, the beginning of spring is usually defined as the day when the daily average temperature is stable above 10℃ every five days, which is inconsistent with the meaning of beginning of spring in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Only Lingnan area really enters spring. "In beginning of spring, the dividing line between winter and spring in China (when the daily average temperature reaches 10 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days, it is considered as spring), and it is from Guilin, Guangxi to Ganzhou, Jiangxi. In the area south of that line, beginning of spring sometimes smells of spring, but 93% of China's land area is still winter. When it comes to Heilongjiang, it often comes to spring in long summer, Grain Rain. The so-called beginning of spring is just a' conception'. "

In ancient China, the longest day shadow was defined as the "Solstice" (also known as the long day solstice, the long day solstice and the winter solstice), and the shortest day shadow was defined as the "short day solstice" (also known as the short day solstice and the summer solstice). In spring and autumn, there is a day with the same length of day and night, which is designated as "vernal equinox" and "autumn equinox". 2 1 century, with the popularization and development of agricultural science and technology, the constraints of solar terms on us are not so strict, but it still plays a basic guiding role in people's production and life, and is still an important reference for our food, clothing, housing and transportation.

Twenty-four solar terms still exist in many parts of the country, and many agricultural proverbs and proverbs, such as "Spring is getting warmer, rain is getting busy", "Snow is broken in Qingming, frost is broken in Grain Rain", "White open air, fish is full of boat tips", "After the White Dew Festival, the night is cold and the day is hot" and "Pickled vegetables with light snow and salted meat with heavy snow", are vivid examples.

Historically, the 24 solar terms have long gone abroad and gone to the world, affecting the Korean Peninsula, Japan and Southeast Asia. In some places, although the seasonal changes are not obvious, the people there are still inheriting and carrying forward the 24 solar terms and their attached culture, which fully shows its cultural value. As early as ancient times, the twenty-four solar terms have been accepted by Korea, Japan and other countries, and have been used in modern times in combination with their national actual situation and national culture.

Twenty-four solar terms have been introduced to Japan for more than 1000 years, and some solar terms have been included in Japan's legal wishes (festivals). ? [7]? In ancient Japan, the China lunar calendar was always used, following the "twenty-four solar terms" schedule, and with the change of almanac by the Central Plains court in China, Yuanjia Calendar, Linde Calendar, Dayan Calendar, Wuji Calendar and Xuanming Calendar were used successively. After that, Japan began to use Zhenxiang Calendar, Tianbao Calendar and so on, which were more suitable for the local people and written by the Japanese.

Japanese local festivals set according to the "Twenty-four solar terms" are called "miscellaneous festivals". Because the "Twenty-four solar terms" were originally set according to the revolution of the earth, the dates are still set according to the solar terms according to the traditional algorithm. For example, the "festival" in Japanese miscellaneous festivals is the day before the "beginning of spring" in China's "twenty-four solar terms"; "The other shore" is a week including the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox. In contemporary Japan, the vernal equinox is also designated as a public holiday.

On February 2nd, 20 15 local time, Seoul, South Korea, there were two days left in beginning of spring in the 24 solar terms. The staff of Seoul National Folk Museum posted beginning of spring's couplets on the gate of the traditional Korean building Wucun House.

In the traditional calendar of Vietnam, most of the "24 solar terms" have been retained, and the time of some solar terms has been changed, which is more suitable for the actual situation in Vietnam. At present, although Vietnam officially uses the solar calendar, some people still use the traditional lunar calendar, especially farmers, who still follow the solar terms to arrange their work and rest.

The successful application of the "24 solar terms" proves that Chinese culture has once again been recognized by the international community. Since ancient times, it is not only the guardian of life and work for generations, but also the guiding light that has influenced the development of civilization in many countries.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia-Twenty-four solar terms (calendar)