Beginning of Spring
The year begins. East winds thaw the frozen earth; beneath lingering snow, all living things quietly stir toward a new cycle of growth.
The pitch-pipes turn, year's end — the frost grows thin;
spring reaches the world, and grass and trees first know.
— Zhang Shi (Song), “Improvised on Lichun”
律回岁晚冰霜少
春到人间草木知
张栻 · 立春偶成
春到人间草木知
张栻 · 立春偶成
Willow Green
Three Pentads
三候The ancients divided each solar term into three pentads of five days, recording nature's subtle changes.
I
一候 东风解冻
First pentad — East winds melt the ice
II
二候 蛰虫始振
Second pentad — Hibernating insects begin to stir
III
三候 鱼陟负冰
Third pentad — Fish rise beneath thinning ice
Seasonal Palette
节气色谱One leading color with three companions, all drawn from the traditional Chinese color canon.
柳色#A9BE7B
liǔsè · Willow Green
葱倩#7C9D54
cōngqiàn · Scallion Verdure
缃叶#E2C672
xiāngyè · Pale Mulberry Leaf
天缥#C6E0DB
tiānpiǎo · Sky Misty Blue
Customs
风物“Biting the spring”: eating spring pancakes, rolls and fresh radish to taste the new season.
咬春——吃春饼、春卷与生萝卜,咬住春天的鲜气。
Whipping the clay spring ox to pray for smooth farming and a bumper harvest.
打春牛——鞭打泥塑春牛,祈愿农事顺遂、五谷丰登。