Small Seasons

Shunso Hishida

Small seasons. https://smallseasons.guide/.  

Prior to the Gregorian calendar, farmers in China and Japan broke each year down into 24 sekki or “small seasons.” These seasons didn't use dates to mark seasons, but instead, they divided up the year by natural phenomena:

Season	Name		Meaning	Associations		Approx. Date
Spring	Risshun	立春	Start of spring	Ground thaws, fish appear under ice.		Feb 4
	Usui	雨水	Rain waters	Snow recedes, mist lingers in the air.		Feb 18
	Keichitsu	啓蟄	Going-out of the worms	Bugs surface from hibernation.		Mar 6
	Shunbun	春分	Vernal equinox	Sparrows start to nest, cherry blossoms bloom.		Mar 21
	Seimei	清明	Clear and bright	Geese fly north, the first rainbows of the year appear.		Apr 4
	Kokū	穀雨	Rain for harvests	Reeds sprout by rivers, rice seedlings grow.		Apr 21
Summer	Rikka	立夏	Start of summer	Birds and frogs start the songs of summer.		May 6
	Shōman	小満	Small blooming	Flowers and plants bloom, wheat ripens.		May 21
	Bōshu	芒種	Seeds and cereals	Praying mantises hatch, fireflies come out. Time to seed the soil.		Jun 5
	Geshi	夏至	Reaching summer	Longest days of the year, irises bloom.		Jun 21
	Shōsho	小暑	Small heat	Warm winds blow, young hawks learn to fly.		Jul 7
	Taisho	大暑	Big heat	Summer heat at its strongest, accompanied by great rains.		Jul 23
Autumn	Risshu	立秋	Start of autumn	Cooler winds blow, thick fogs roll through hills.		Aug 8
	Shosho	処暑	Lessening heat	Rice has ripened, the heat of summer, forgotten.		Aug 23
	Hakuro	白露	White dew	Drops of dew on grass.		Sep 7
	Shubun	秋分	Autumnal equinox	Day and night are of equal length.		Sep 23
	Kanro	寒露	Cold dew	Temperatures begin to drop, crickets stop chirping.		Oct 8
	Sōkō	霜降	Frosting	The first frosts, maple leaves turn yellow.		Oct 23
Winter	Ritto	立冬	Start of winter	The ground starts to freeze.	NOW	Nov 8
	Shōsetsu	小雪	Small snow	Light snow, the last leaves have fallen from trees.		Nov 23
	Taisetsu	大雪	Big snow	Cold sets in, bears hibernate.		Dec 8
	Tōji	冬至	Winter solstice	Shortest days of the year.		Dec 22
	Shōkan	小寒	Small cold	Temperatures quickly drop.		Jan 6
	Daikan	大寒	Big cold	Ice thickens on the streams, hens huddle together.		Jan 20