Beginning Of Spring 立春

Singapore - Chinatown

新加坡 — 牛车水

Today is Lichun, the beginning of spring, so strictly speaking, today then really enters the Year of Rat.

今天是立春，因此严格来说，今天才真正进入鼠年。

Lichun, as one of the "24 solar terms", is similar to Lixia, Liqiu and Lidong, reflecting the change of the four seasons throughout the year.

立春作为“二十四节气”之一，与立夏、立秋、立冬一样，反映着一年四季的更替。

Lichun means that the winter in which everything is closed has passed, and it has begun to enter the spring and the sun is warm and everything grows.

立春，意味着万物闭藏的冬季已过去，开始进入风和日暖、万物生长的春季。

Lichun in Gregorian calendar is from February 3 to 5 of each year, means the beginning of spring.

立春在西历每年2月3日至5日之间，表示着春天之开始。

The period from this day onwards until Lixia is called spring.

从此日一直到立夏这段期间，都称为春季。

The astronomical calendar shows that there are two "Lichun days" in this Year of Rat, a phenomenon commonly known as "two springs" in folk.

天文年历显示，这个鼠年里有两个“立春日”，这一现象民间俗称“两头春”。

Astronomy experts said that "two springs" is a common calendar phenomenon and has no special meaning.

天文专家表示，“两头春”是司空见惯的历法现象，无任何特殊意义。

Why are there two "Lichun days" in this Year of Rat?

农历庚子鼠年为何会有两个“立春日”呢？

It is because this Year of Rat is a leap year.

因为农历庚子鼠年是闰年。

This Year of Rat just so happens to have "intercalary fourth month", which makes this lunar year longer, starting on January 25, 2020 and ending on February 11, 2021.

鼠年恰好有一个“闰四月”，这使得这个农历年的时间比较长，从2020年1月25日开始，直到2021年的2月11日结束。

The 384-day lunar Year of Rat contains two "Lichun days", namely the "Lichun" on the 11th of the first month of the lunar calendar (February 4, 2020) and the "Lichun" on the 22nd of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar (February 3, 2021).

长达384天的农历鼠年就包含了两个“立春日”，即正月十一“立春”（2020年2月4日）和腊月二十二再次“立春”（2021年2月3日）。

In contrast to "two spring days", there is "no spring" in the lunar year, that is, there is "no spring day" in the entire lunar year.

与“两头春”相对，农历年中还有“无春年”，即整个农历年中没有“立春日”。

Of course, there is also only one spring day in the lunar calendar, which is called "Single spring year".

当然，也有农历年只有一个“立春日”的，也称“单春年”。

Every two years or one year, there will be a leap year in the lunar calendar and that leap year will definitely have "two spring days".

每隔两年或者一年就有一个农历闰年，闰年必定是“两头春”。

Every time after "two spring days", there will be a "no spring year" in the forth coming year or the year after.

每当“两头春”后，来年或隔一年，必有一个“无春年”。

Statistics show that in the 100 years of the 21st century "two spring days" and "no spring year" each has 37 times and the rest are "single spring year".

统计显示，在21世纪的100年中，“两头春”和“无春年”各有37次，剩下的均为“单春年”。

P/S: Lichun means beginning of spring, Lixia means beginning of summer, Liqiu means beginning of autumn and Lidong means beginning of winter.