1. Foreign Cultures 81 The Culture of Everyday Life in China Peter Bol, Michael Szonyi, Stephen Ford When – Part 2 Multichronicity in Daily Life

2. Eight Trigrams Diviner in Pujiang, 1998

3. 1368 Was the 1 st year of the Hongwu 洪武 (Overflowing Martiality) reign period of the founding emperor of the Great Ming. The Hongwu reign period ended with the death of the emperor in 1398 His successor took the reign period title of Jianwen 建文 (Establishing the Civil) in 1399. When he was usurped by his uncle in 1403, his reign period was erased. The new emperor named his reign period Eternal Joy 永樂。

4. But 1368 was also the 28 th year of the Zhizheng 至正 (Perfect Correctness) reign period of Toghon Temur, the reigning emperor/grand khan of the Great Yuan.

5. February 16 2012 Is the 25 th day of the 1st moon of the renchen 壬辰 year; a dragon year, the 12 th day of Start of Spring ( 立 春 lìchūn) (Four days from today Rain Water (yushui 雨 水 ) begins.) the 5 th day of the third week Today is the dingwei 丁未 day It is 10 days past the Lantern Festival (1/15) Today the moon is in the lunar mansion “Encampment” (shi 室 ) in the Black Tortoise division 玄武 Today is a Water 水 day It is 6 o’clock Don’t get your head shaved today, but do meet with friends

6. The sexagenary cycle the Renchen 壬辰 year the dingwei 丁 未 day

7. The sexagenary cycle Why is this the year of the Dragon?

8. Why are months moons? How many moons in a year? Today is the 25 th day of the 1st moon This month is a big month, it will have 30 days – next month will have 29

9. How to solve this problem? Lunar year = 12 moons, 29 ½ days each. Thus 6 small months of 29 days and 6 big months of 30 (354). some years 7 big (355) or small. (353).

10. Does the solar year matter? yes, of course, but why? On what should it be based? (the Gregorian Calendar cut off 10 days from Julian Calendar in 1582, it took another 200 years before all Europe adopted Jan 1 as the start of the year (rather than a religious event) Religious calendars and saint days were practical calendars into the 19th c. for most.)

11. Ecliptic Longitu de Chinese Name Gregorian Date (approx.) Usual Translation Remarks 315 立春 lìchūn February 4 start of spring spring starts here 330° 雨水 yǔshuǐ February 19 rain water starting at this point, the temperature makes rain more likely than snow 345° 啓蟄 qǐzhé ( 驚蟄 jīngzhé) March 5 awakening of insects when hibernating insects awakehibernating Today is the the 12 th day of Start of Spring ( 立春 lìchūn) Rain Water begins 4 days from today

12. Climactic periods (jieqi 節氣 ) 24 periods of 15 days Starts with the Beginning of Spring (2/4) Ends with Big Cold (1/22) Anchored by spring and autumn equinoxes (fen 分 ), summer and winter solstices ( 至 )

13. Eclip tic Lngt. Chinese Name Gregorian Date (approx.) Usual Translation Remarks 315 立春 lìchūn February 4start of spring spring starts here according to the Chinese definition of a season, see also Cross-quarter day Cross-quarter day 330° 雨水 yǔshuǐ February 19 rain waterstarting at this point, the temperature makes rain more likely than snow 345° 啓蟄 qǐzhé ( 驚蟄 jīngzhé) March 5 awakening of insects when hibernating insects awakehibernating 0° 春分 chūnfēn March 21vernal equinox lit. the central divide of spring (referring to the Chinese seasonal definition) 15° 清明 qīngmíng April 5clear and brighta Chinese festival where, traditionally, ancestral graves are tended 30° 穀雨 gǔyǔ or gǔyù April 20grain rainsrain helps grain grow 45° 立夏 lìxià May 6start of summerrefers to the Chinese seasonal definition 60° 小滿 xiǎomǎn May 21grain fullgrains are plump 75° 芒種 mángzhòng or mángzhǒng June 6grain in earlit. awns (beard of grain) grow 90° 夏至 xiàzhì June 21summer solsticesolsticelit. summer extreme (of sun's height) 105° 小暑 xiǎoshǔ July 7minor heatwhen heat starts to get unbearable 120° 大暑 dàshǔ July 23major heatthe hottest time of the year 135° 立秋 lìqiū August 7start of autumnuses the Chinese seasonal definition 150° 處暑 chùshǔ August 23limit of heatlit. dwell in heat 165° 白露 báilù September 8 white dewcondensed moisture makes dew white; a sign of autumn 180° 秋分 qiūfēn September 23 autumnal equinox lit. central divide of autumn (refers to the Chinese seasonal definition) 195° 寒露 hánlù October 8cold dewdew starts turning into frost 210° 霜降 shuāngjiàng October 23descent of frostappearance of frost and descent of temperature 225° 立冬 lìdōng November 7 start of winterrefers to the Chinese seasonal definition 240° 小雪 xiǎoxuě November 22 minor snowsnow starts falling 255° 大雪 dàxuě December 7 major snowseason of snowstorms in full swing 270° 冬至 dōngzhì December 22 winter solsticesolsticelit. winter extreme (of sun's height) 285° 小寒 xiǎohán January 6minor coldcold starts to become unbearable 300° 大寒 dàhán January 20major coldcoldest time of year

14. DateEnglish Name Chinese Name Remarks2010 month 1 day 1 New Year (Spring Festival) 春節 chūnjié Family gathering and festivities for 3–15 days Feb 14 month 1 day 15 Lantern Festival 元宵節 yuánxiāojié Tangyuan eating and lanterns Feb 28 Apr 4 or 5 [1] Qingming Festival (Clear and Bright) 清明節 qīngmíngjié Tomb sweepingApr 5 month 5 day 5 Dragon Boat Festival 端午節 duānwǔjié Dragon boat racing and eating zongzi Jun 16 month 7 day 7 Night of Sevens 七夕 qīxī For lovers, like Valentine's DayAug 16 month 7 day 15 Ghost Festival (Spirit Festival) 中元節 zhōngyuánjié Offer tributes and respect to the deceasedAug 24 month 8 day 15 Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) [1] [1] 中秋節 zhōngqiūjié Family gathering and moon cake eatingSep 22 month 9 day 9 Double-Ninth Festival (Double Yang) 重陽節 chóngyángjié Mountain climbing and flower shows Oct 16 month 10 day 15 Xiayuan Festival 下元節 xiàyuánjié Pray for a peaceful year to the Water GodNov 20 Dec 21 or 22 Winter Solstice Festival 冬至 dōngzhì Family gatheringDec 12 month 12 day 23 Kitchen God Festival 謝灶 xièzào Worshipping the kitchen god with thanksJan 30 [1] [1] Qingming Festival on the 104th day after the winter solstice (or the 15th day from the Spring Equinox), usually occurring around April 5 of the Gregorian calendarwinter solsticeApril 5Gregorian calendar

15. Today the moon is in the first lunar mansion, “Horn” (jiao 角 )

19. PHASEwoodfireearthmetalwater SEASONspringsummer midsummer fallwinter DIRECTIONeastsouthcenterwestnorth PLANETJupiterMarsSaturnVenusMercury CROPwheatrice"grain"milletlegumes IMPLEMENTcompassbalancecordsquareplumb EMBLEMbluegreen dragon vermillion bird yellow dragon white tigerdark warrior COLORbluegreenvermillionyellowwhiteblack Today is an Earth 土 day

20. The sexagenary cycle Why is today an earth day?

22. Heaven and Earth Time Fortune-Telling Sun Day Moon Month Seasons Bazi Predictions differ based on calendar day Hours corresponding to 12 Earthly Branches Following your fortunes 28 Constellations Auspicious & Inauspicious Stars Earthly & Heavenly Branches Eclipses recorded in almanac Geomancy (Feng-shui) Peter Cai, 2008