China Internet Information Center
  January 2011  

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

2

3

 

4

1st/12th mo.

5

Slight Cold

6

7

8

 

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

 

16

17

18

15th/12th mo.

19

20

Great Cold

21

22

23

24

 

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holidays and Observances:

1: New Year’s Day

11: Day of Winter Sacrifice (8th day of the 12th lunar month) on which porridge made with cereals, beans, nuts and dried fruit is traditionally served.

26: Preliminary Eve (23th of the 12th lunar month). According to legend, the kitchen god delivers reports on families to the Jade Emperor of Heaven. To induce the kitchen god to speak favorably, people traditionally offer sacrifices of candy or sweet, sticky cake to him.

30: World Leprosy Day observed annually on the last Sunday in January.

Blacksmith’s Day, an annual celebration of the Jino ethnic group in southwest China, held on a day selected by the clan chief during the 12th lunar month. One member of each family in the village is selected to go hunting, bringing back a pair of bamboo rats for the blacksmith and other game for the clan chief. Bamboo rats are an important food source for the Jino; and the rodents are honored as representatives of ancestors by the Blang, another southwestern group.

 
Notes:

1. In the traditional calendar, the new moon indicates the first day of a lunar month; the full moon marks the 15th day.

2. Dates in red are official holidays. To give workers longer holidays during the year, the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding or following the extended holiday are official workdays. In 2011, there are six official working Saturdays and Sundays respectively on January 30 (Sunday), February 12 (Saturday), April 2 (Saturday), October 8 (Saturday), October 9 (Sunday) and December 31 (Saturday).

3. The 24 Seasonal Division Points:

Order & Name of Seasonal Division Point Sun's Position at Ecliptic Gregorian Calendar Date
Spring 1.Beginning of Spring
2.Rain Water
3.Waking of Insects
4.Vernal Equinox
5.Pure Brightness
6.Grain Rain
315°
330°
345°

15°
30°
4 or 5 February
19 or 20 February
5 or 6 March
20 or 21 March
4 or 5 April
20 or 21 April
Summer 7.Beginning of Summer
8.Grain Budding
9.Grain in Ear
10.Summer Solstice
11.Slight Heat
12.Great Heat
45°
60°
75°
90°
105°
120°
5 or 6 May
21 or 22 May
5 or 6 June
21 or 22 June
7 or 8 July
22 or 23 July
Autumn 13.Beginning of Autumn
14.Limit of Heat
15.White Dew
16.Autumnal Equinox
17.Cold Dew
18.Frost's Descent
135°
150°
165°
180°
195°
210°
7 or 8 August
23 or 24 August
7 or 8 September
22 or 23 September
8 or 9 October
23 or 24 October
Winter 19.Beginning of Winter
20.Slight Snow
21.Great Snow
22.Winter Solstice
23.Slight Cold
24.Great Cold
225°
240°
255°
270°
285°
300°
7 or 8 November
22 or 23 November
7 or 8 December
21 or 22 December
5 or 6 January
20 or 21 January
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