24 Solar Terms

The 24 solar terms is a gross name of the system that consists of 12 major solar terms and 12 minor solar terms. Starting from ‘vernal equinox’, the 12 major solar terms are ‘vernal equinox’, ‘corn rain’, ‘corn forms’, ‘summer solstice’, ‘great heat’, ‘end of heat’, ‘autumnal equinox’, ‘frost’, ‘light snow’, ‘winter solstice’, ‘severe cold’ and ‘spring showers’. The minor solar term after ‘vernal equinox’ is ‘bright and clear’, and then in turn ‘summer commences’, ‘corn on ear’, ‘moderate heat’, ‘autumn commences’, ‘white dew’, ‘cold dew’, ‘winter commences’, ‘heavy snow’, ‘moderate cold’, ‘spring commences’ and ‘insects waken’. At ‘vernal equinox’ and ‘autumnal equinox’, the length of daylight and the night are equal. The period of daylight is the longest at ‘summer solstice’ and the shortest at ‘winter solstice’ in northern hemisphere. These were the earliest solar terms determined in ancient time. Then it came the four solar terms ‘spring commences’, ‘summer commences’, ‘autumn commences’ and ‘winter commences’. Other solar terms were named later according to the weather and agricultural activities prevalent at the respective times of the seasons. The ‘24 solar terms’ reflects to some extent the climate over central China in ancient time. They represent the early wisdom of Chinese people.

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