The 60-year Calendar - the original one?
Dr. Michael Oon
This Calendar comprises two key elements
Heavenly Stems
Earthly Branches
China’s first Emperor, Shih Huang Di mandated that there would be a Calendar System. A Court official, Da Rao Shi, observed the relationship of the Sun and the Earth and the resulting four seasons.
He created the ten heavenly stems and the twelve earthly branches which whose combinations represent the sexagenary cycle. A year can be represented by the composition of two characters, one from the heavenly stem and one from the earthly branch.
Each year is named by a pair – one stem and one branch, for example. The start of the sexagenary cycle starts with the combination of Jia (Heavenly stem) and Zi (Earthly branch). The following year is the next characters of the respective sequence, yi (heavenly stem) and chou (Earthly branch).
The Heavenly Stems
It is said that the Shang People had a ten-day cycle, and these were the names of each day.
The Earthly Branches
The system was from observations of the 12-year orbit of Jupiter cycles around the Sun. They are the names of each of the earth solar year.
The 60-year cycle
The Chinese 60-year calendar cycle is based on the combinations of a cycle of ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches. Each year is named by a pair of one stem and one branch.
The Year of Jia Zi (Jia from the heavenly stems and Zi from the earthly branches) is the beginning of the sexagenary cycle. The next Jia Zi Year will come 60 years later.
Therefore, the Chinese calendar 60-year cycle is also called a Jia Zi. For those who are observant, 10 heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches would make 120 combinations. Yes, there is a restriction. Only yang heavenly stem can pair with yang earthly branch. Likewise with the yin pairing. Only yin heavenly stem with yin earthly branch.
The year starts on 4th February and ends on 3rd February of the following year.
An Introduction to Chinese Calendar and related systems
The Chinese Calendar: A brief history and interesting facts
The Thousand-Year Calendar - the sophisticated one?
Chinese Zodiac – Some interesting Facts
Date Selection for Auspicious Timings - The Secret of Success?
