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Chinese Traditional Calendar - Culture, Family, Travel, Consumer Reviews - Posted: 30th Jan, 2006 - 1:17pm
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Chinese Traditional Calendar
The Chinese calendar is quite different from the Western calendar. Events are considered Cyclical, repeated over and over, rather than Linear, with events always going from the past forward. According to the Chinese, the year is currently 4703.
From the San Francisco Chinese Culture Center:
https://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac...iac.html#LEGEND
| QUOTE |
| The Chinese animal signs are a 12-year cycle used for dating the years. They represent a cyclical concept of time, rather than the Western linear concept of time. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, and is constructed in a different fashion than the Western solar calendar. In the Chinese calendar, the beginning of the year falls somewhere between late January and early February. The Chinese have adopted the Western calendar since 1911, but the lunar calendar is still used for festive occasions such as the Chinese New Year. Many Chinese calendars will print both the solar dates and the Chinese lunar dates. In traditional China, dating methods were cyclical, cyclical meaning something that is repeated time after time according to a pattern. A popular folk method which reflected this cyclical method of recording years are the Twelve Animal Signs. Every year is assigned an animal name or "sign" according to a repeating cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar. Therefore, every twelve years the same animal name or "sign" would reappear. Legend According to Chinese legend, the twelve animals quarreled one day as to who was to head the cycle of years. The gods were asked to decide and they held a contest: whoever was to reach the opposite bank of the river would be first, and the rest of the animals would receive their years according to their finish. All the twelve animals gathered at the river bank and jumped in. Unknown to the ox, the rat had jumped upon his back. As the ox was about to jump ashore, the rat jumped off the ox's back, and won the race. The pig, who was very lazy, ended up last. That is why the rat is the first year of the animal cycle, the ox second, and the pig last. |
Edited: FarSeer on 29th Jan, 2006 - 4:32pmSponsored Links:
Post Date: 30th Jan, 2006 - 1:17pm / Post ID: #
Calendar Traditional Chinese
Well thats new. I had never heard that legend before. I like hearing the stories of our beginnings from other cultures. Its interesting that they have a legend to tell how the months were chosen and in what order. One must assume that for the legend to start, it had to fill a void in which people needed answers. This was that answer for the ancient Chinese. However, one must also wonder why this knowledge was needed or even interesting too them.
TOPIC: Chinese Traditional Calendar