China's Lunar-Solar Calendar 2023 01-22 New Year's Day

 Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs" 

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦
1/24.........................................................1/22...........................................Monthly Calendar Information

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. 

As for interpreting the translation, 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 (almost any "it" you will see). 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. And do not assume that people from China understand the traditional calendar particularly well, either. I have encountered confusion and furrowed brows for countless items in the calendar. It can seem "remote," in other words, from the world we live in these days, and yet it is printed anew every single year.

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.    

                                        Section One

                                 Solar Calendar Date

                             (top to bottom, right to left)

廿一年二二

二月    三零

日期星

First Month, Twenty-Second Day

Sunday, January 22

————

Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

不神天天月天

將在恩馬德德

Heavenly Exemplarity

Lunar Exemplarity

Heavenly Equinity

Heavenly Kindness

Spirits Present

Not General

————

Section Three
Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left) 
申辰甲

凶中吉

酉巳丑

凶中凶

戌午寅

中吉吉

亥未卯

凶凶吉

23:00-1:00 Inauspicious

1:00-3:00 Auspicious

3:00-5:00 Auspicious

5:00-7:00 In-Between

7:00-9:00 Auspicious

9:00-11:00 Auspicious

11:00-13:00 Auspicious

13:00-15:00 Inauspicious

15:00-17:00 Inauspicious

17:00-19:00 In-Between

19:00-21:00 Inauspicious

21:00-23:00 Auspicious

————

Section Four 
Activities to Avoid  
(top-to-bottom; right to left) 

忌

取田栽開結經

魚獵種渠網絡

Seeking Energy Channels

Binding Nets

Opening Irrigation Sluices

Planting and Cultivating

Field Venery (Goin' Huntin')

Garnering Piscinity (Goin' Fishin')

————

Section Five 
Cosmological Information

初

一

庚

辰

金

虛

平

First Day (First Lunar Month)

Cyclical Day: gengchen (17/60)

Phase (element): Metal

"Constellation Personality" Cycle: Void (11//28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Level (4/12)

————

Section Six

Appropriate Activities

and Miscellaneous Information

(top to bottom; right to left)

節春

出未迎卯宜喜

行申貴辰丑神

噩戊神巳寅西

神時正時卯北

五凶東向辰貴

鬼午方西巳神

正未迎北時東

西時財方合北

死虧神迎吉財

門路大喜出神

東空吉神行正

南亡是東宜東

勿不日北丑炷

向宜子方寅香

SPRING FESTIVAL

Noble Spirits: Southwest

Wealth God: Northeast

Kitchen Incense: Appropriate Use...

The rest of the column continues in this manner, and 

creates a directional symbolism for thinking about various 

divinatory activities (something that is not in 

the day columns for the rest of the year.

Happy New Year!