From: cluster.user@yale.edu (Cluster User)
Subject: Re: question on chinese calendar (was Re: Caucasoid Turks/Bulgars)
Date: 24 Mar 1999 00:00:00 GMT
Message-ID: <36f96dd6.3152082@news.yale.edu>
References: <369E3BE1.5C45@sbu.ac.uk> <77li2j$qi0$1@whisper.globalserve.net> <369F52FE.2B6@sbu.ac.uk> <77rc86$auj$1@brokaw.wa.com> <36A444B3.F3B70F1C@alum.mit.edu.-> <7827sb$269$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <36A52D70.9E372DD2@alum.mit.edu.-> <36A556AB.9927BD29@montclair.edu> <36a63533.58309714@news.yale.edu> <7866ud$i9m$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <36cdb21e.883120019@news.wxs.nl> <36A7FCC8.79790A6B@earthlink.net> <36d77e23.1000882888@news.wxs.nl> <36a8d455.81661202@news.yale.edu> <78pl3c$84o@cpca3.uea.ac.uk> <36b0dc2f.3434839@news.yale.edu> <78v30o$vl6@cpca3.uea.ac.uk> <36b34d7c.60430113@news.yale.edu> <794e84$4iq@cpca3.uea.ac.uk> <3744d12a.1873763068@news.wxs.nl> <796m95$eq2@cpca3.uea.ac.uk> <375c0ea6.1954957123@news.wxs.nl> <79fo99$qkl@cpca3.uea.ac.uk> <36f597c8.18429910@news.yale.edu> <7d546l$1ev@cpca3.uea.ac.uk> <36f71942.35680365@news.yale.edu> <36F8FA5A.31E2F960@alum.mit.edu.->
Organization: Yale University
Newsgroups: sci.archaeology,sci.anthropology,sci.lang

On Wed, 24 Mar 1999 14:45:26 GMT, Tak To <takto@alum.mit.edu> wrote:

>Cluster User wrote:
>> about the chinese calendar, one source (enc. brittanica) says
>> that the year starts in the lunar month that the sun enters
>> pisces.  however, chinese new year celebrations are set two lunar
>> months from the winter solictice. this is what I observe from
>> practice, as well as the statements from almanacs.
>
>I think the above two are equivalent under the current way of
>placing the intercalary month (which in effect defines the year).
>Have you observed a difference?

at least formally the sun enters pisces on march 13 (that's the
information I have), but since the astrological signs of the zodiac
are somewhat different from the astronomical constellations (the way
tehy are marked off, apparently there are 13 constellations on the
ecliptic but only 12 astrological signs) the astrological definiton of
pisces may be different.

>
>There might be small discrepancies due to the fact that the
>segments on the solar ecliptic -- as delineated by the 24
><jie2qi4>'s (big5:¸`®ð) of which the winter solstice is one;
>as well as new moons are defined for the 120E meridian rather
>than the Greenwhich meridian.  (I assume that the start of
>Pisces and the winter solstice are determined astronomically
>rather than simply by calendar.  If not, there might be further
>discrepancies.)
>
>Tak
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>Tak To                                            takto@alum.mit.edu.-
>--------------------------------------------------------------------^^
>[taode takto ~{LU5B~}]       NB: trim the .- to get my real email addr