Lunar Months
The Chinese zodiac (see also Twelve Animals section) is only used in naming years—it is not used in the actual calculation of the calendar. In fact, the Chinese have a very different constellation system.
In modern China, the lunar months are typically simply numbered, following the standard practice with the solar months. However, the old names for the first (正月, Zhēngyuè or 元月, Yuányuè, both meaning "first month") and last ( 臘月, 腊月, Làyuè) months are still used as well.
Among the many variant series for naming months is the following, which mostly uses flower names.
| Chinese Lunar Months | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese name |
Simplified Chinese name |
Pinyin | Translation | Other names | |
| 芍月 | — | sháoyuè | peony month | 端月、元月、初月、嘉月、开岁、新正、隅月、孟月、始春、元春、陬月 | |
| 杏月 | — | xìngyuè | apricot month | 丽月、 花月、 柳月、 仲春、 酣春、 艳春、 芳春、 如月、 早春 | |
| 桃月 | — | táoyuè | peach month | 桃月、 蚕月、 莺月、 暮月、 鹂月、 季春、 炳月、 三春、 阳春、 暮春、 绸月 | |
| 梅月 | — | méiyuè | plum month | 梅月、 麦月、 清和、 初夏、 桐夏、 余月、 桃月、 孟夏、 纯月 | |
| 榴月 | — | liúyuè | pomegranate month | 榴月、 蒲月、 仲夏、 飘香、 皋月、 郁月 | |
| 荷月 | — | héyuè | lotus month | 荷月、 玉绳、 且月、 伏月、 季夏、 焦月、 署月、 精阳、 溽暑、季暑 | |
| 蘭月 | 兰月 | lányuè | orchid month | 瓜月、 巧月、 砧月、 兰秋、 新秋、 银磺、 飞星、 相月、 霜月、 孟秋、 桐月 | |
| 桂月 | — | guìyuè | osmanthus month | 莹月、 虹月、 吟秋、 鸦月、 壮月、 桂月、 仲秋、 中秋、 壮月 | |
| 菊月 | — | júyuè | chrysanthemum month | 菊月、 苔月、 琼月、 霜序、 三秋、 霜秋、 季秋、 暮商、 朽月、 玄月 | |
| 良月 | — | liángyuè | good month | 露月、 良月、 孟冬、 霜华、 阳月 | |
| 冬月 | — | dōngyuè | winter month | 仲冬、 寒艳、 畅月、 蒹月、 葭月、 龙潜月、 辜月、 葭月 | |
| 臘月 | 腊月 | làyuè | preserved meat month | 腊月、 冰月、 严月、 除月、 残霜天、 星回、 嘉平、 季冬、 嘉平、 穷节 | |
Read more about this topic: Chinese Calendar
Famous quotes containing the words lunar and/or months:
“A bird half wakened in the lunar noon
Sang halfway through its little inborn tune.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
“I’d take the bus downtown with my mother, and the big thing was to sit at the counter and get an orange drink and a tuna sandwich on toast. I thought I was living large!... When I was at the Ritz with the publisher a few months ago, I did think, “Oh my God, I’m in the Ritz tearoom.” ... The person who was so happy to sit at the Woolworths counter is now sitting at the Ritz, listening to the harp, and wondering what tea to order.... [ellipsis in source] Am I awake?”
—Connie Porter (b. 1959)