The Chinese started out following
the Gregorian calendar, but that was changed in 104 B.C.E. during the Han
Dynasty. The Calendar is used for more than one quarter of the world and it
marks traditional festivals and memorial days. People who follow the calendar
usually choose a special day to have a wedding, child birth, and funeral. The
first written sources were found during the Shang dynasty in the 14 century and
they were found on oracle bones. Through the centuries many astronomical and
seasonal markers have been added. The official calendar today was brought into
accord with the Gregorian calendar. The Chinese calendar is based on astronomical
cycles, that means a day is a rotation of the earth, an orbit around the moon
is a month, and an orbit around the sun is a year.
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| from Dig magazine |
