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The Calendar 暦

It is thought that the twenty-four solar terms (節気) of the ancient Chinese calendar were codified as early as during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). Kind of amazing to realize that these terms have come down to modern times --through time and space (place)-- unchanged.  Each of the solar terms lasts about 15 days. And for further precision, they are divided into 3 sections of about 5 days each.

These "micro-seasons" became known in Japan as the 72 kō (72候). Originally the word “kō” in Japanese meant “to go out to meet someone,” and in time came to signify “looking forward to” or “expecting something.” Perhaps this says something about the way the ancient Japanese saw the turning of the seasons-- as something to anticipate, like the cherry blossoms of spring!

 

Meaning Associations   Approx. Date
Start of spring
Ground thaws, fish appear under ice.
  
Feb 4
Rain waters
Snow recedes, mist lingers in the air.
  
Feb 18
Going-out of the worms
Bugs surface from hibernation.
  
Mar 6
Vernal equinox
Sparrows start to nest, cherry blossoms bloom.
  
Mar 21
Clear and bright
Geese fly north, the first rainbows of the year appear.
 
Apr 4
Rain for harvests
Reeds sprout by rivers, rice seedlings grow.
  
Apr 21
Start of summer
Birds and frogs start the songs of summer.
  
May 6
Small blooming
Flowers and plants bloom, wheat ripens.
  
May 21
Seeds and cereals
Praying mantises hatch, fireflies come out. Time to seed the soil.
  
Jun 5
Reaching summer
Longest days of the year, irises bloom.
  
Jun 21
Small heat
Warm winds blow, young hawks learn to fly.
  
Jul 7
Big heat
Summer heat at its strongest, accompanied by great rains.
  
Jul 23
Start of autumn
Cooler winds blow, thick fogs roll through hills.
  
Aug 8
Lessening heat
Rice has ripened, the heat of summer, forgotten.
  
Aug 23
White dew
Drops of dew on grass.
  
Sep 7
Autumnal equinox
Day and night are of equal length.
  
Sep 23
Cold dew
Temperatures begin to drop, crickets stop chirping.
  
Oct 8
Frosting
The first frosts, maple leaves turn yellow.
  
Oct 23
Start of winter
The ground starts to freeze.
  
Nov 8
Small snow
Light snow, the last leaves have fallen from trees.
  
Nov 23
Big snow
Cold sets in, bears hibernate.
  
Dec 8
Winter solstice
Shortest days of the year.
  
Dec 22
Small cold
Temperatures quickly drop.
  
Jan 6
Big cold
Ice thickens on the streams, hens huddle together.
    

 

It is thought that the twenty-four solar terms (節気) of the ancient Chinese calendar were codified as early as during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). Kind of amazing to realize that these terms have come down to modern times --through time and space (place)-- unchanged.  Each of the solar terms lasts about 15 days. And for further precision, they are divided into 3 sections of about 5 days each.

These "micro-seasons" became known in Japan as the 72 kō (72候). Originally the word “kō” in Japanese meant “to go out to meet someone,” and in time came to signify “looking forward to” or “expecting something.” Perhaps this says something about the way the ancient Japanese saw the turning of the seasons-- as something to anticipate, like the cherry blossoms of spring!

Unlike the 24 sekki, though, in time the Japanese developed their own terms which were more demonstrative of what was actually happening seasonally in Japan-- though this wouldn’t happen until 1685, over 800 years after the Taien-reki Tang Dynasty calendar was first introduced. 

It's interesting to take a look at what kinds of changes were made in "translated" Chinese seasons into Japanese ones.

The most striking feature one finds in the Chinese calendar is the dominant place the sighting of birds plays. Out of the 72 kō, 23 had bird-related names, making it the largest grouping of seasonal names in the Chinese calendar, pointing to the particularly special place birds had in the hearts of the ancient Chinese. Bird-related names was followed by 19 names related to the weather (such as the wind or thunderstorms), while plants, insects and animals were represented by 13, 9 and 6 names respectively. There were only two fish-related seasonal names in the Chinese calendar.

Not surprisingly, it is plants and flowers, rather than birds, which are most conspicuous in the later Japanese-adapted calendar, with 27 associated seasonal names. Still, birds far outnumber animals, insects and fish making it the third largest grouping.

In Tochigi, I always wanted to make my own seasonal calendar--my own 72 kō. 

In Westlake too. I even started one in Westlake revolving around the changes and moods of the lake.  And now, I do this in Pasadena. I am not the first either, as Liza Dalby has written a wonderful memoir based on noticing the seasons around her in Berkeley and mapping those onto the koyomi. In England, author and birder Lev Perikan has written his own version called, Light Rains Sometimes Fall: A British Year Through Japan's 72 Seasons.