The Season
Things come and go in seasons. These days, the year unfolds in 24 small seasons, each lasting about 15 days. Right now we’re in Start of Summer ●.
- ■ Small Cold 1/6 Temperatures quickly drop
- ■ Big Cold 1/20 Ice thickens, hens huddle together
- ◇ Start of Spring 2/4 Ground thaws, fish appear under ice
- ◇ Rain Waters 2/18 Snow recedes, mist lingers in the air
- ◇ Insects Awaken 3/6 Bugs surface from hibernation
- ◇ Vernal Equinox 3/21 Sparrows start to nest, cherry blossoms bloom
- ◇ Clear and Bright 4/4 Geese fly north, rainbows appear
- ◇ Grain Rain 4/21 Reeds sprout, rice seedlings grow
- ● Start of Summer 5/6 Birds and frogs begin singing
- ● Small Blooming 5/21 Flowers bloom, wheat ripens
- ● Seeds and Cereals 6/5 Praying mantises hatch, fireflies emerge
- ● Summer Solstice 6/21 Longest days, irises bloom
- ● Small Heat 7/7 Warm winds blow, young hawks learn to fly
- ● Big Heat 7/23 Peak summer heat with heavy rains
- ◆ Start of Autumn 8/8 Cooler winds, thick fogs
- ◆ Lessening Heat 8/23 Rice ripens, summer fades
- ◆ White Dew 9/7 Dew drops on grass
- ◆ Autumnal Equinox 9/23 Day and night equal length, my love's anniversary
- ◆ Cold Dew 10/8 Temperatures drop, crickets stop chirping
- ◆ Frosting 10/23 First frosts, maple leaves turn yellow
- ■ Start of Winter 11/8 Ground begins to freeze, commerce intensifies for year-end
- ■ Small Snow 11/23 Light snow, last leaves fall, a mad rush to finish yearly tasks
- ■ Big Snow 12/8 Cold sets in, bears hibernate, reflect on the past
- ■ Winter Solstice 12/22 Shortest days of the year, work abates, we pull indoors
These seasons mark natural phenomena rather than fixed calendar dates. Adapted from Small Seasons.