The Influence of the Chinese Calendar.The Chinese Calendar or the Chinese Lunar Calendar as some call it, influences many things in Chinese life from Chinese New Year Celebrations to gender selection of babies. I was surprised the influence the Chinese Lunar Calendar and its associated beliefs have on Chinese life.On the one hand, the Chinese are very practical people. They have officially adopted the western Gregorian calendar (based on the Roman Julian calendar). This means if you arrange a meeting on a particular date, both parties will arrive at the same time. BUT, many Chinese place importance on the implications of the Chinese lunar calendar. Check this article out in the Washington Post. You will see that 2007 was the Year of the Pig in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. In fact it was quite special – a one in sixty year occurrence called the “Golden Year of the Pig”. Now, this is regarded as a very lucky year – so many Chinese couples decided to have babies in that year. The result – overcrowded maternity wards and a huge increase in the sale of baby products – all because of the cycle in the Chinese lunar calendar! History of the Chinese Lunar CalendarSince ancient times, people all over the world have observed the cycle of the moon, sun and seasons and constructed calendars accordingly.The Chinese did this as well. They observed there was a cycle when the sun appeared in the same location in the sky and that interval of time became known as the “sun” which is our day. The cycle through which the moon went (new moon through its phases to the full moon and back again) defined the month. This is about 29.5 days so the Chinese month (or “moon” as they call it) is 29 or 30 days. Similarly by observing the changing position of the sun in the sky at the same time every day, and the associated seasons of summer, autumn, winter and spring, the period of a year was determined to be 365 and a 1/4 days. We in the West cater for the quarter day by adding a day every 4 years in the leap year. How the Chinese calendar is constructedThe Chinese calendar is based on a 60 year cycle.There is the 12 year cycle with each year representing an animal (dog, dragon, horse, monkey, ox, pig, rabbit, rat, rooster, sheep, snake, tiger). There is also another cycle of 5 being earth, metal, water, wood, fire and earth. Uses of the Chinese CalendarNow the Chinese calendar is used for Chinese festivals and holidays, astrology and also for the best dates for special occasions like having a wedding.The Chinese Lunar Calendar still plays a very important role in Chinese culture today. Chinese Birth Calendar.....It has been so important to the Chinese for a long time. It is a popular prediction tool of the sex of a baby. Find out about the Chinese Birth Calendar. Chinese Astrological Calendar.....It is the same as the Chinese Calendar but has an astrological interpretation. Very popular in China and throughout the world. Find out about the Chinese Astrological Calendar. Chinese New Year.....the activities that occur during the Chinese New Year are amazing, more so than in Western countries. Find out about the Chinese New Year Activities. Gain a little basic knowledge about each Chinese Zodiac sign from the Chinese calendar. It is not hard to do by relating it to the characteristics of the animal. Then you will be able to quickly strike up conversations with Chinese people you meet. Year of the Ox.....the person born in the Year of the Ox is dependable and hardworking! Find out about the person born in the Year of the Ox. Year of the Tiger.....the person born in the Year of the Tiger possesses beauty and power but is also dangerous! Find out about the person born in the Year of the Tiger. Year of the Rabbit.....the person born in the Year of the Rabbit is neat and tidy! Find out about the person born in the Year of the Rabbit. Year of the Dragon.....the person born in the Year of the Dragon is a stand out! Find out about the person born in the Year of the Dragon. Year of the Snake.....You should be wary of the person born in the Year of the Snake! Find out about the person born in the Year of the Snake. Year of the Horse.....the person born in the Year of the Horse has so much energy! Find out about the person born in the Year of the Horse. Year of the Sheep.....the person born in the Year of the Sheep is very fashionable but easily lead! Find out about the person born in the Year of the Sheep. Year of the Monkey.....the person born in the Year of the Monkey is mischievous and a prankster! Find out about the person born in the Year of the Monkey. Year of the Rooster.....the person born in the Year of the Rooster is so cocky! Find out about the person born in the Year of the Rooster. Year of the Dog.....the person born in the Year of the Dog is so loyal and forgiving! Find out about the person born in the Year of the Dog. Year of the Pig.....the person born in the Year of the Pig is so lucky! Find out about the person born in the Year of the Pig. Year of the Rat.....the person born in the Year of the Rat is very hard working! Find out about the person born in the Year of the Rat. Return to the Chinese Calendar Top of Page.
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