Chunfen


The traditional Chinese calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. Chūnfēn, Shunbun, Chunbun, or Xuân phân is the 4th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 0° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 15°. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around 20 March and ends around 4 April. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 0°.

Pentads

Each solar term can be divided into 3 pentads. They are: first pentad, second pentad and last pentad. Pentads in Chunfen include:

China

  • First pentad: 玄鳥至, 'The dark birds arrive'. 'Dark bird' in this case refers to swallows, which are also making their northward migration.
  • Second pentad: 雷乃發聲, 'Thunder sounds', referring to the onset of spring thunderstorms.
  • Last pentad: 始電, 'Lightning starts'. This refers to thunderstorms as well, but also to the gradual lengthening of daytime, and the prevalence of sunlight.

Japan

A pentad as follows was referred to Japanese traditional calendar presented in a smaller, easy to use, format.
  • First pentad:, 'Sparrow begins holding a nest'.
  • Second pentad:, 'Cherry blossoms open for the first time'.
  • Last pentad:, 'Distant thunder start to sound'.