Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs"
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This is one in a never-ending series—following the movements of the calendar—in Round and Square perpetuity. It is today's date in the Chinese lunar-solar (or "luni-solar" calendar; I call it the "lunar" calendar in order to distinguish it from the kinds of calendars most Westerners use. It has a basic translation and minimal interpretation. Unless you have been studying calendars (and Chinese culture) for many years, you will likely find yourself asking "what does that mean?" I would caution that "it" doesn't "mean" any one thing. There are clusters of meaning, and they require patience, reflection, careful reading, and, well, a little bit of ethnographic fieldwork. The best place to start is the introduction to "Calendars and Almanacs" on this blog. I teach a semester-long course on this topic and, trust me, it takes a little bit of time to get used to the lunar calendar. Some of the material is readily accessible; some of it is impenetrable, even after many years.
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As time goes on, I will link all of the sections to lengthy background essays. This will take a while. In the meantime, take a look, read the introduction, and think about all of the questions that emerge from even a quick look at the calendar. You will likely find that several of the translations seem quite "fanciful" in English. I am simply trying to convey that they also sound fairly fanciful in Chinese.
二
日
日期星
Second Month, Second Day
Sunday, February 2
Sunday, February 2
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Section Two
Beneficent Stars
Section Two
Beneficent Stars
(top to bottom, right to left)
十生德天
靈氣合月
Heavenly Lunarity
Exemplary Linkage
Engendered Vapor
Ten Spirits
靈氣合月
Heavenly Lunarity
Exemplary Linkage
Engendered Vapor
Ten Spirits
————
Section Three
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left)
申辰子
吉中吉
酉巳丑
中
Section Three
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left)
申辰子
吉中吉
酉巳丑
中