China's Lunar-Solar Calendar 2024 02-10

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

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦
2/12........................................2/10....................................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)

十二年二二

日月    四〇

六期星

Second Month, Twenty-Second Day

Monday, February 10

————

Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

十金福天守歲

靈堂德貴日德

Generational Exemplarity

Protected Days

Heavenly Nobility

Fortunate Exemplarity

Golden Hall

Ten Spirits

————

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

凶吉吉

酉巳丑

吉中吉

戌午寅

凶凶吉

亥未卯

吉吉中

23:00-1:00 Auspicious

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 In-Between

11:00-13:00 Inauspicious

13:00-15:00 Auspicious

15:00-17:00 Inauspicious

17:00-19:00 Auspicious

19:00-21:00 Inauspicious

21:00-23:00 Auspicious

————

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

忌

行成除栽出開

喪服靈種財倉

Opening Granaries

Capital Outflow

Planting and Cultivating

Exorcising Spirits

Completing Clothing

Mourning Visits

————

Section Five 
Cosmological Information

初

二

甲

辰

火

氐

滿

First Day (First Lunar Month)

Cyclical Day: gengchen (41/60)

Phase (element): Fire

"Constellation Personality" Cycle: Foundation (12//28)
"Day Personality" Cycle: Fullness (5/12)

————

Section Six

Appropriate Activities

and Miscellaneous Information

(top to bottom; right to left)

節春

空大時巳乙喜

亡吉向時貴神

不是東亦人東

宜融北吉寅北

出午方出時貴

行申迎行福神

五戌喜宜星西

鬼時神用貴南

死凶西子人炷

門申南丑上香

東西方寅吉宜

南時迎卯子丑

勿截貴辰迎時

向路神巳辰天

SPRING FESTIVAL

Spirits of Happiness: Northeast

Wealth God: Southwest

Incense Burning: 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!