Twelve months - first month

1st month: "The beginning of Spring" - "Meng Chun" - February 4-5 (beginning of the month)


Twelve Months - twelve genre paintings, each of which shows a month with a wide range of natural phenomena and folk customs associated with it.
Although the works are anonymous and undated, scholars have established that they date back to the years of the Qianlong Emperor (1644-1911) and were probably completed by several court artists.
These twelve paintings were once hung in the palace of Emperor Qianlong, one at a time according to the current month.
According to legend, the traditional Chinese calendar was created by the legendary Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) in the 3rd millennium BC. This calendar is a very complex chronology system, which takes into account the cycles of the celestial movement of four planets at once - the Moon, the Sun, Jupiter and Saturn. However, the Chinese calendar is primarily solar.
A solar year contains 12 solar months and 24 seasons.

Description of the seasons from the calendar of the Xia Dynasty (21-16th century BC)

1st month: "The beginning of Spring" - "Meng Chun" - February 4-5 (beginning of the month)

“The Northern Bucket is oriented towards the YIN sector. At this time, Heaven and Earth together generate, begin their action in the annual cycle. Ten thousand entities are transformed and born. You should go to bed late, get up early. Let the bodily form move smoothly so that will-zhi be born. It should be generated, not killed, given, not taken away. The sage firmly holds his true breath-chi, trying not to dissipate it outside. "

1) Season "Li Chun" - "Establishment of Spring" February 4-5 (beginning of the month).
“This is the beginning, the beginning. These are rare, stupid movements, shocks. Ten thousand entities begin to possess the Breath of Life. The thaw begins, the east wind blows, insects wake up from their hibernation. Wild geese go to the North. Sparrows flap their wings. This is a call. The fish begins to rise and carries ice. The peasant prepares the plow, the beginning of the year is celebrated with the rite of arable farming. Leeks can already be found in vegetable gardens. The season is accompanied by strong winds. The still cold winter sun begins to transform the snow-covered deserts. Field mice, moles come to the surface. A little later, they turn into quails, and then take their previous shape again. The peasants get to work, prepare the fields. The otter performs the rite of sacrifice. "

2) Season "Yu Shui" - "Rainwater" February 18-19 (mid-month).
“The Lord of Spring comes into his own. The breath of Heaven gradually and consistently turns and warms up. The snow in the mountains begins to melt. A lot of moisture is released. The breath-qi of dampness is increased. A lot of rainwater falls out. Tufts appear in birds of prey. The peasants are throwing snow. Work begins in the fields. Collect the root. Chrysanthemums are visible. In early twilight, Orion is in a central position. The bucket arm goes down. Buds appear on the willows. Plum, peach, apricot blossom. The hen is incubating the chicks.