中國玄學基礎知識 (四)

什麼是陰陽曆？

Chinese Metaphysics Basics 4

What is the Chinese Lunar calendar or Traditional Chinese calendar?

（The English version is available below)

 

首先，我們要了解曆法就利用一些週期性的變化的現象去計算時間。就好像人們用1個白天和黑夜去代表1日。

 

地球圍繞太陽運行的時間都是一樣接近固定的365.24日。我們習慣用日為單位。

 

這樣問題就出現了，因為每年365日(平年)，而剩下的0.24日會每四年合併成1日，亦即是366日(閏年) 。所以西曆會有4年1閏的規則。

 

月亮圓缺周期大概是29.5日，經過12個朔望月，一年有354日，仍然比365日少了11日。

 

古時的中國人為了解決累積時間偏差的問題，就利用了陰曆(月亮圓缺周期)和太陽曆(地球公轉的週期)合併去找出一個偏差比較少的置閏方法。

 

這就是農曆的十九年置7個閏月。就是包含了陰曆和陽曆，所以叫作陰陽曆。

 

First of all, in order to understand the calendar, we use some periodic changes to calculate time. Therefore, one day and night represent a full day.

 

As we use the days as the unit to calculate time, the time for the earth to orbit the sun is close to 365.24 days, which is always the same.

 

Because an average year is counted as 365 days per year, the remaining 0.24 days will be combined into 1 day in every four years, which there are 366 days for the leap year. Therefore, there is a rule of a leap year in every 4 years in the Western calendar.

 

Whereas, as there are about 29.5 days per month for the moon cycle. After 12 lunar months, there are only 354 days in a year, which is still 11 days less than 365 days compared to the Solar calendar.

 

In order to solve the problem of accumulated time deviation, the ancient Chinese combined the Lunar calendar and the Solar calendar to find a method of intercalation with less deviation.

 

This is why the 19th year of the Chinese Lunar calendar has 7 leap months. It actually includes the Lunar calendar and the Solar calendar, it is also called the Traditional Chinese calendar apart from Chinese Lunar calendar.