Astronomy Online

A lot of people are aware of Chinese calendars. However, they do not necessarily understand exactly how they work. In truth, they are very similar to the Gregorian calendar used by the Western world. However, there are many differences as well. For instance, the Chinese calendar is the world’s oldest chronological record of time. Emperor Huang Ti was responsible for its inception in 2600 BC. This is the point at which he introduced the Chinese zodiac and its cycle. That and the cycles of the moon are among the aspects around which this calendar is based.

There are a surprising number of similarities between the Chinese and Western, Gregorian calendars. However the differences are more important. The Western calendar focuses on months more than years. However, with the Lunar calendar, one year in every twelve has the name of a particular animal. This is due to a legend wherein Buddha summoned all the animals of the world to bid him farewell before he left earth. Only twelve showed up. As a reward for their kindness, Buddha named a year after each animal, in order of appearance.

This is why the Chinese Animal zodiac and the calendar are interconnected. A lot of people believe that the year and animal in which you were born determines your personality. It can influence many aspects of your life.

It is a known fact that most of the world is Chinese and to be honest, Chinese New Years is a well celebrated holiday all over the world. In short, the Chinese calendar is the calendar that let’s everyone know exactly when the culture’s numerous celebrations starts and ends. The Gregorian system is definitely one of the most used calendars in the world and the Chinese also follow this calendar for many of their universal purposes.

Because the Chinese calendar also operates around the phases of the moon and the longitude of the sun, modern science has had an effect on it. It does so every year in fact. It is ever changing, which is extremely intriguing in and of itself.

Many people know that whenever a brand new moon starts, it usually means the start of a new month, but many of the Western states do not follow this, rather they go by numbers. The Lunar calendar on the other hand was designed around the cycles of the moon and the longitude of the sun.

A few things to keep in mind when you are dealing with Chinese Calendars; each year represents one animal, although in 2009, the year of the Ox occurs. This particular animal year only takes place every twelve years.