Lichun, or the Beginning of Spring, is the first of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese calendar that for thousands of years has guided farmers and forecast the weather.
Falling on February 3rd, 4th, or 5th, Lichun marks the end of the winter and the beginning of revival, a new season of growth. The weather becomes noticeably warmer, and plants show the first signs of coming back to life.
On this day, Zhang Shi, a poet and scholar in Song Dynasty, described the vibrant and lively beginning of spring as such:
律回岁晚冰霜少，春到人间草木知。
Lǜ huí suì wǎn bīng shuāng shǎo, chūn dào rén jiān cǎo mù zhī.
Warmth returns. Ice and frost grow thin. The grass and trees feel the coming of another spring.
便觉眼前生意满，东风吹水绿参差。
Biàn jué yǎn qián sheng yì mǎn, dōng fēng chuī shuǐ lǜ cēn cī
Now everything before me is lush and verdant, green water ripples here and there with the wind.
His poem describes Lichun as a prelude to spring, a time when nature arises from the winter pause. Flowers and grass grow, and the world becomes vibrant once more. Lichun signifies renewal, hope, and new beginnings.
With the onset of Lichun, people start to prepare for spring to come. One tradition is eating spring rolls. Another more unusual custom involves "beating the spring cattle," which isn't as cruel as it sounds.
A "cow" made of paper, mud or clay, is beaten by farmers with a colorful club or a whip, symbolically dispelling the winter laziness of the cattle, while actually dispelling their own.
Wang Zi, another Tang Dynasty sage, seeing the sceneries on Lichun, wrote:
泥牛鞭散六街尘，生菜挑来叶叶春。从此雪消风自软，梅花合让柳条新。
Ní niú biān sàn liù jiē chén, sheng cài tiāo lái yè yè chūn.
Whipping the mud cows makes the dust waft along the streets,
and the fresh lettuce sends the message of spring.
从此雪消风自软，梅花合让柳条新。
Cóng cǐ xuě xiāo fēng zì ruǎn, méi huā hé ràng liǔ tiáo xīn.
The snow disappears and the wind softens. The plum blossoms as willows unfold their buds.
On this day, people, bid farewell to the weakening winter and take time to reflect on the past and embrace the future with hope and optimism. They cherish the beauty of nature and take inspiration from the resilience and strength of the world around them.
Each new season brings hope for a prosperous year of love, happiness, and success.
立春
立春，即春之伊始，为农历中二十四节气之首。二十四节气为指导农事、预测天气而制定。在公历里，立春的日期为2月3日、4日或5日，它标志着寒冬的结束，昭示着生机盎然、万物勃发的新季节的开始，具有重要地位。立春时节，天气明显转暖，万物再度开始生长。
在这天，宋代诗人张栻曾写道：“律回岁晚冰霜少，春到人间草木知。便觉眼前生意满，东风吹水绿参差。”从诗中可以看出，立春是春之序曲，是万物复苏、草木生长，世界恢复生机的时节。它寓意着希望、万象更新和蓬勃朝气。
从立春开始，人们开始为春天的到来做准备。在中国文化中，立春有多种习俗和传统。其中一项就是吃春饼和春卷。中国民间在立春当天也有“打春”或者“鞭春牛”的习俗。农民用彩色棍棒或鞭子抽打纸、泥或粘土制成的“牛”，驱除牛群冬季的懒惰以祈求丰收。宋朝诗人王镃在他的诗中曾提到这一习俗：“泥牛鞭散六街尘，生菜挑来叶叶春。从此雪消风自软，梅花合让柳条新。”
人们在告别严寒的冬天、迎来生机盎然的春天的同时，也在这一天反思过去，怀着希望和乐观拥抱未来。他们珍视自然之美，并从周围方兴未艾的世界中汲取力量和灵感，期盼着立春过后新的一年能幸福繁荣，充满爱、喜悦与成功。
