Today is the beginning of spring – is spring coming?

Start of Spring, also known as the First Month Festival, New Year’s Festival, the beginning of a new year, or New Year’s Day, is the first of the twenty-four solar terms. It marks the start of a new year in the sexagenary cycle, representing the end and beginning of all things, and symbolizing the inception of all life and renewal. Li means “to begin” ； Spring represents warmth and growth. The 24 solar terms were originally established based on the movement of the stars. The beginning of spring is marked when the handle of the Big Dipper points in the Yin direction. Currently, the solar terms are determined based on the sun’s ecliptic longitude; the beginning of spring occurs when the sun reaches an ecliptic longitude of 315°, and it falls between February 3rd and 5th of each Gregorian year. The beginning of spring marks the revival of the earth and the renewal of all things; in traditional beliefs, it carries a fortunate meaning.