The year 2023 is "leap February", and there are also two "beginning of spring", one at the beginning of the year and one at the end of the year, so it is also called "double spring year". Because of this, 2023 is considered an extremely special year.
Since I was a child, I have heard the old people in the village say: "A leap month is not a month above the leap October, that is, at most a leap October".
There is such a saying among the people in circulation: "It is rare to meet the spring of New Year's Day in a hundred years, and it is rare to meet the leap month in a thousand years", from the meaning of the proverb, there is also a leap month, that is, the last month of the year There is a leap month, I have to say that such a leap month is really extremely rare.
Although it is rare, it does not mean that there will not be one, after all, the calendar and time calculation method summarized by the ancestors in the agricultural civilization will have some differences with our current living habits.
The "New Year's Day" that the ancestors said, the time node should be the current "Spring Festival", and the New Year's Day we celebrate now is January 1 of the Gregorian calendar in the Western calendar used during the Republic of China.
China is the only ancient country among the four ancient civilizations in the world that has not been broken by dynasties, and this cultural atmosphere full of mystery and wisdom makes everyone who has come into contact with it so happy that they are deeply immersed in it and cannot extricate themselves.
Next, let's explore the meaning behind this ancient proverb with a complex state of mind of curiosity and seriousness.
First of all, let's take a look at the first half of the saying: "It's rare to meet New Year's Day spring in a hundred years".
As the results of the above analysis, the "New Year's Day" here refers to the Spring Festival in the middle and present, that is, the first day of the Lunar New Year, while the "spring" refers to the solar term of the beginning of spring. When these two coincide on a single day, it is called "New Year's Day Spring".
"New Year's Day" is considered an auspicious omen. The first day of the Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, and the "beginning of spring" is the first day in the Ganzhi chronology and the first solar term in the Chinese lunar calendar.
This day symbolizes the arrival of spring, which represents the revival and vitality of all things, a symbol of new beginnings and hope. Therefore, when the first day of the Lunar New Year coincides with the "beginning of spring", this day has a special meaning and is seen as the starting point of the new year, representing good expectations and blessings.
The phrase "once in a century" expresses the rarity of this situation. People's good expectations and blessings for the new year are fully reflected at this moment.
Next, let's take a look at the second half of the saying: "A thousand years rarely meet a leap month".
The lunar calendar is based on the waxing and waning of the moon, and the length of each month is based on the time it takes for the moon to orbit the earth, and there are 12 months in the year, for a total of 354 days. However, this is not the same as the time of the solar year, where there is a time difference of about 11 days.
In order to compensate for this time difference, there is also the concept of leap month. A leap month is one in which an extra month is inserted in some years to keep the lunar calendar in sync with the solar year. However, there is a certain pattern to deciding which month to interfer.
The key to determining the leap month is China's 24 solar terms, which include 12 solar terms and 12 middle terms. The solar terms are such as the beginning of spring, the stunning, the Qingming, the beginning of summer, etc., while the middle air is such as rain, vernal equinox, valley rain, Xiaoman, etc. According to the lunar calendar, if there is no mid-air in a month, then the month can be called a "leap month".
The year 2023 is "leap February", and it is easy to understand this as a reference. Even so, the "leap month" is extremely rare.
Because around December of the Gregorian calendar, the earth moves faster, and the interval between the middle and air is shorter, the shortest is only a little more than 29 days, which is shorter than a month in the lunar calendar.
Therefore, it is extremely unlikely that the three months of the first month, the first month, the month of November, and the month of wax will not have a mid-term, and the chance of a leap month is almost impossible.
So, in the 5,000-year history of China, has there ever been a "leap month"? The answer is: Yes.
It is recorded in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty that "in the thirteenth year of Jian'an, Wuzi was in December and was in the afternoon. Leap December Renzishuo", that is, in the thirteenth year of Jian'an in the Eastern Han Dynasty (208 AD), there was a leap month.
Now, let's get back to the heart of the matter: whether a leap month year causes two Chinese New Year's Eves.
According to the traditional Chinese calendar, a leap month year does not result in two Chinese New Year's Eves. On the contrary, according to folk tradition, if there is a leap month in the year, then Chinese New Year's Eve should be the last day of the leap month.
This is because the leap month is the last month in the lunar calendar, so the end of the lunar year will be on the last day of the leap month, and the new lunar year will begin on the following day. This ensures that each year has an official start to the new year.
Epilogue:
The Chinese calendar tradition contains profound philosophical ideas and wisdom, reflecting the ancient Chinese's keen observation of natural phenomena and precise measurement of time. Through the arrangement of the 24 solar terms and the insertion of leap months, the Chinese calendar successfully reconciles the lunar calendar with the solar year, ensuring the accuracy of the lunar calendar.
This traditional calendar is widely used not only in China, but also in some neighboring countries and regions, and has become an important cultural heritage. The saying "it is rare to meet the spring of New Year's Day in a hundred years, and it is rare to meet the leap month in a thousand years" is a visual summary of some unique phenomena in the Chinese calendar, conveying people's expectations for auspiciousness and beauty.
In modern society, although the solar calendar has become the main way to measure time, the Chinese lunar calendar still plays an important role in festivals, agriculture, cultural traditions and other fields. This traditional calendar is not only a tool for measuring time, but also the essence of Chinese culture, carrying rich historical and cultural connotations.
Chinese New Year's Eve is a day for family reunions. However, the timing of the Spring Festival holiday in 2024 is controversial because on Chinese New Year's Eve (February 9, 2024), it is not included in the holiday schedule, and the holiday starts on February 10 and ends on February 17.
This also means that if the company does not accept the suggestion: "encourage all units to combine the implementation of paid annual leave and other systems, and arrange employees to rest on Chinese New Year's Eve (February 9)", it will be difficult for everyone to reunite with their families on Chinese New Year's Eve, which is somewhat regrettable, what do you think?
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