The Chinese view the seasons in a different light than we do in the West. In the West we say that the first day of spring is March 21st, the Vernal Equinox. Summer begins on June 21st, the Summer Solstice. Fall begins on September 23rd, the Autumnal Equinox. Winter begins on December 22nd, the Winter Solstice. [Please note that all dates provided in this essay are approximate and may vary by one day depending on the exact calculations of times for the solstices and equinoxes in any given year. Also, all dates provided in this essay are relevant to the Northern Hemisphere; dates for the Southern Hemisphere will differ.]

In China the seasons were traditionally calculated with the solstices and equinoxes as the midpoint of the season, not the beginning. This makes a Chinese season arrive approximately 6 weeks earlier than it does in the West. As an example of the calculation: There are 89 days between December 22nd (the Winter Solstice) and March 21st (the Spring Equinox) in a non-leap year. Half of 89 is 44 or 45 days. February 4th, considered to be the first day of spring, is 45 days after the Winter Solstice. The same calculation may be made for the other seasons.

The Four Seasons

We can observe that spring is related to the Wood Element, summer is related to the Fire Element, autumn is related to the Metal Element, and winter is related to the Water Element. But what about Earth? The average year is 365 days. There are Five Elements. There are technically Four Seasons. 365 days divided by the 5 Elements yields 5 equal sections of 73 days each. 365 days divided by the 4 Seasons yields 4 approximate but equal sections of 91 days. The difference between 91 days per season and 73 days per Element is 18 days. The last 18 days of each season are then considered a buffer period relating to the Earth Element. This is demonstrated in the following table:

The Four Seasons with Earth Buffers

This concept is similar to the Element of the Branches for the 12 months.

As demonstrated below in the table of the 12 Branches, the first two months in any season have the same Element at the season. The third month of any given season is an Earth Buffer month.

The 12 Branches

There is a second way that Earth may be dealt with as far as the seasons go. Sometimes the Chinese use Five Seasons, adding 'Late Summer' as an independent season related to the Earth Element. This was related to the climate in China:

Wood relates to the wind which is predominant in spring.
Fire relates to the heat which is predominant in summer.
Earth relates to the dampness which is predominant as rain in late summer.
Metal relates to the dryness which is predominant in autumn.
Water relates to the cold which is predominant in winter.

Once again, the average year is 365 days. There are Five Elements. But in this alternative view there are also Five Seasons.

365 days divided by the 5 Elements yields 5 equal sections of 73 days each. The result is demonstrated in the following table of the Five Seasons:

The Five Seasons

These dates come directly from the Huangdi Neijing, Suwen, a Han Dynasty classic on medicine. The Chinese names in the 'Calculation' column are the names of five of the 24 Jie Qi (Solar Terms).

While the dates of the Chinese Seasons may seem quite early to the Westerner, remember how early the crocus appear, the first sign of spring. Think how soon the first really warm day comes when you can go outside without a jacket; surely this is the genesis of summer. The fall harvest can begin at the end of August or the beginning of September. And often, in many places, the first frost of winter arrives before the end of November.

The Chinese appear more attuned to the first signs of a season than to the fullness of the seasons as we do in the West.