A typical calendar used in a Chinese home

[Cecil Lee]

Attached please find a sample page (month) of a typical Calendar, found in most Chinese homes.
This calendar, is useful because, it has the `western' calendar, holidays and more importantly, the Lunar calendar date.
Very often, the elderly Chinese are more acustomed to their birthdates in Chinese.
For example, if one's birthday is on the 15th day, of the 4th Lunar month.
He/She checks on the Mandarin wordings. It is cross referenced to the English date i.e. 18 May 2000.
It so happens that it takes the moon to revolve one full cycle, and if one peers into the sky, in the evening on every 15th day, you will see a full moon.
It so happens that the 15th day of the 4th Lunar Month, happens to be Vesak Day.
Chinese thus, consider the Lunar Calendar (Lunar = Moon) in their daily life.
All Chinese birthdays are thus referenced to Lunar Calendar.
Only for harvesting, do they then refer to the Xia Li (Hsia) to see when planting starts.
Warmest Regards,
Cecil