Tết ( Vietnamese: [tet̚˧˦] , chữ Hán : 節 ), short for Tết Nguyên Đán ( chữ Hán : 節元旦 lit. ' Festival of the first day ' ), is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture . Tết celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese calendar and usually has the date in January or February in the Gregorian calendar .
149-614: Tết Nguyên Đán is not to be confused with Tết Trung Thu , which is also known as Children's Festival in Vietnam. " Tết " itself only means festival but it would generally refer to the Lunar New Year in Vietnamese, as it is often seen as the most important festival amongst the Vietnamese and the Vietnamese diaspora, with Tết Trung Thu regarded as the second-most important. Vietnamese people celebrate Tết annually, which
298-546: A perfect man . For example, the Annals would allow them to relate the moral problems of the present to past political events; the Book of Odes reflects the "mood and concerns" of the commoners and their view on government; while the Book of Changes encompasses the key theory and practice of divination. Although some Chinese people follow Confucianism in a religious manner, many argue that its values are secular and that it
447-485: A rénzǐ day ( 壬子 ) followed by a water phase. Other days were tracked using the Yellow River Map ( He Tu ). Another version is a four-quarters calendar ( 四時八節曆 ; 四时八节历 ; 'four sections', 'eight seasons calendar', or 四分曆 ; 四分历 ). The weeks were ten days long, with one month consisting of three weeks. A year had 12 months, with a ten-day week intercalated in summer as needed to keep up with
596-465: A "transmitter who invented nothing". He puts the greatest emphasis on the importance of study, and it is the Chinese character for study (學) that opens the text. Far from trying to build a systematic or formalist theory, he wanted his disciples to master and internalize older classics, so that they can capture the ancient wisdoms that promotes "harmony and order", to aid their self-cultivation to become
745-406: A Day 1 Wu Xing element. A phase began with a governing-element day ( 行御 ), followed by six 12-day weeks. Each phase consisted of two three-week months, making each year ten months long. Years began on a jiǎzǐ ( 甲子 ) day (and a 72-day wood phase), followed by a bǐngzǐ day ( 丙子 ) and a 72-day fire phase; a wùzǐ ( 戊子 ) day and a 72-day earth phase; a gēngzǐ ( 庚子 ) day and a 72-day metal phase, and
894-735: A Gregorian calendar beginning in October and ending in September. The intercalary month, known as the second Jiǔyuè ( 後九月 ; 后九月 ; 'later Jiǔyuè'), was placed at the end of the year. The Qin calendar was used going into the Han dynasty. Emperor Wu of Han r. 141 – 87 BCE introduced reforms in the seventh of the eleven named eras of his reign, Tàichū ( Chinese : 太初 ; pinyin : Tàichū ; lit. 'Grand Beginning'), 104 BCE – 101 BCE. His Tàichū Calendar ( 太初曆 ; 太初历 ; 'grand beginning calendar') defined
1043-469: A calendar useful for agricultural. For farming purposes and keeping track of the seasons Chinese solar or lunisolar calendars were particularly useful. Thus, over time, the publication of multipurpose and agricultural almanacs has become a longstanding tradition in China Various other astronomical phenomena have been incorporated into calendars besides the cycles of the sun and the moon, for example,
1192-400: A capital G ), and other translations that have been put forth include "authoritativeness" and "selflessness". Confucius's moral system was based upon empathy and understanding others, rather than divinely ordained rules. To develop one's spontaneous responses of rén so that these could guide action intuitively was even better than living by the rules of yì . Confucius asserts that virtue is
1341-466: A day up to the entire week, and the New Year is filled with people in the streets trying to make as much noise as possible using firecrackers, drums, bells, gongs, and anything they can think of to ward off evil spirits. This parade will also include different masks and dancers hidden under the guise of what is known as the múa lân or lion dancing . The lân is an animal between a lion and a dragon and
1490-754: A degree of the original Chinese customs such as giving of lucky money in red envelopes and use of the lunar calendar, but has also over time, evolved their own separate and unique traditions that reflect Vietnam's distinct culture and identity, which includes the Vietnamese zodiac where the Vietnamese doesn't use the Ox, Rabbit, and Sheep in the Chinese zodiac but instead replaces them with the Buffalo, Cat, and Goat, respectively, as well as traditional Vietnamese dishes. Most information sources state that Tết originated from
1639-426: A family on the first day of the lunar New Year, the entire following year will also be full of blessings. Usually, a person of good temper, morality, and success will be a lucky sign for the host family and be first invited into his house. However, just to be safe, the owner of the house will leave the house a few minutes before midnight and come back just as the clock strikes midnight to prevent anyone else from entering
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#17327731146581788-742: A head in 223 BCE when the Qin state conquered all of China. Li Si , Prime Minister of the Qin dynasty , convinced Qin Shi Huang to abandon the Confucians' recommendation of awarding fiefs akin to the Zhou dynasty before them which he saw as being against to the Legalist idea of centralizing the state around the ruler. Under the succeeding Han and Tang dynasties, Confucian ideas gained even more widespread prominence. Under Emperor Wu of Han ,
1937-462: A loyalist official rose up with the people of Hou and forced Hou Fan to flee to the state of Qi . The situation may have been in favor for Confucius as this likely made it possible for Confucius and his disciples to convince the aristocratic families to dismantle the fortifications of their cities. Eventually, after a year and a half, Confucius and his disciples succeeded in convincing the Shu family to raze
2086-497: A mean between extremes. For example, the properly generous person gives the right amount – not too much and not too little. Confucius's political thought is based upon his ethical thought. He argued that the best government is one that rules through "rites" ( lǐ ) and morality, and not by using incentives and coercion. He explained that this is one of the most important analects: "If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid
2235-476: A millennium's worth of history. The major modern form is the Gregorian calendar-based official version of Mainland China , though diaspora versions are also notable in other regions of China and Chinese-influenced cultures. The logic of the various permutations of the Chinese calendar has been based on considerations such as the technical form from mathematics and astronomy, the philosophical considerations, and
2384-416: A new planting season. Not only the farmers but all the household members of the nobility and chieftains also participate in this festival." The name Tết is a shortening of Tết Nguyên Đán, literally written as tết (meaning festivals; only used in festival names) and nguyên đán which means the first day of the year. Both words come from Sino-Vietnamese respectively, 節 (SV: tiết) and 元旦. The word for festival
2533-477: A one-week long break from school to celebrate Tết. Local Buddhist temples are popular spots because people like to give donations and get their fortunes told during Tết. Children are free to spend their new money on toys or on gambling games such as bầu cua cá cọp , which can be found in the streets. Prosperous families can pay for dragon dancers to perform at their house. Also, public performances are given for everyone to watch. These celebrations can last from
2682-515: A person throughout life?" The Master replied: "How about 'reciprocity'! Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself." Often overlooked in Confucian ethics are the virtues to the self: sincerity and the cultivation of knowledge. Virtuous action towards others begins with virtuous and sincere thought, which begins with knowledge. A virtuous disposition without knowledge is susceptible to corruption, and virtuous action without sincerity
2831-456: A person's house on the first day of the new year ( xông nhà ), ancestor veneration , exchanging New Year's greetings, giving lucky money to children and elderly people, opening a shop, visiting relatives, friends, and neighbors. Tết can be divided into three time periods, tất niên (celebrations before the end of the year), giao thừa (New Year's Eve), and năm mới (the New Year), representing
2980-438: A ruler's responsibilities to lead by virtue. Confucius considered himself a transmitter for the values of earlier periods which he claimed had been abandoned in his time. He advocated for filial piety , endorsing strong family loyalty, ancestor veneration , the respect of elders by their children and of husbands by their wives. Confucius recommended a robust family unit as the cornerstone for an ideal government. He championed
3129-484: A solar year as 365 + 385 ⁄ 1539 days (365;06:00:14.035), and the lunar month had 29 + 43 ⁄ 81 days (29;12:44:44.444). Since ( 365 + 385 1539 ) × 19 = ( 29 + 43 81 ) × ( 19 × 12 + 7 ) {\displaystyle \left(365+{\frac {385}{1539}}\right)\times 19=\left(29+{\frac {43}{81}}\right)\times \left(19\times 12+7\right)}
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#17327731146583278-480: A special effort to correlate the solar and lunar cycles experienced on earth—an effort which is known to mathematically require some degree of approximation. One of the major features of some traditional calendar systems in China (and elsewhere) has been the idea of the sexagenary cycle . The Chinese lunisolar calendar has had several significant variations over the course of time and history. Many historical variations in
3427-491: A spectrum beginning with a prehistorical/mythological time to and through well attested historical dynastic periods. Many individuals have been associated with the development of the Chinese calendar, including researchers into underlying astronomy; and, furthermore, the development of instruments of observation are historically important. Influences from India, Islam, and Jesuits also became significant. Early calendar systems often were closely tied to natural phenomena. Phenology
3576-477: A tiered tower used by Buddhists and Taoists for worship. Many Buddhist altars are set up in the weeks leading up to Tet. The line “If you’re a farmer, you’ll gain more” refers to beliefs held by many Vietnamese people about the effects the new year will bring on agriculture. Tet symbolizes the start of the spring season. Farmers traditionally use this time as an opportunity to remember the gods of harvest. The next line, “If you’re dealers, you’ll earn more” refers to
3725-517: A town. Eventually, he rose to the position of Minister of Crime. The Xunzi says that once assuming the post, Confucius ordered the execution of Shaozheng Mao , another Lu state official and scholar whose lectures attracted the three thousand disciples several times except Yan Hui . Shaozheng Mao was accused of 'five crimes', each worth execution, including 'concealed evilness, stubborn abnormality, eloquent duplicity, erudition in bizarre facts and generosity to evildoers'. Confucius desired to return
3874-473: A year later the couple had their first child, their son Kong Li ( 孔鯉 ). Qiguan and Confucius later had two daughters together, one of whom is thought to have died as a child and one was named Kong Jiao ( 孔姣 ). Confucius was educated at schools for commoners, where he studied and learned the Six Arts . Confucius was born into the class of shi ( 士 ), between the aristocracy and the common people. He
4023-457: A year; the month after the winter solstice was Zhēngyuè . Modern historical knowledge and records are limited for the earlier calendars. These calendars are known as the six ancient calendars ( 古六曆 ; 古六历 ), or quarter-remainder calendars, ( 四分曆 ; 四分历 ; sìfēnlì ), since all calculate a year as 365 + 1 ⁄ 4 days long. Months begin on the day of the new moon, and a year has 12 or 13 months. Intercalary months (a 13th month) are added to
4172-507: Is 4515), and the newspaper Ming Pao ( 明報 ) reckoned 1905 as 4603 (using a year 1 of 2698 BCE, and implying that 2024 CE is 4722). Liu Shipei ( 劉師培 , 1884–1919) created the Yellow Emperor Calendar ( 黃帝紀元, 黃帝曆 or 軒轅紀年 ), with year 1 as the birth of the emperor (which he determined as 2711 BCE, implying that 2024 CE is 4735). There is no evidence that this calendar was used before the 20th century. Liu calculated that
4321-485: Is also a tradition to pay off debts before the Vietnamese New Year for some Vietnamese families. Traditionally, each family displays cây nêu , an artificial New Year tree consisting of a bamboo pole 5–6 m (16–20 ft) long. The top end is usually decorated with many objects, depending on the locality, including good luck charms, origami fish, cactus branches, and more. At Tết, every house
4470-607: Is based on a lunisolar calendar (calculating both the motions of Earth around the Sun and of the Moon around Earth). Tết is generally celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year (also called Spring Festival), with the one-hour time difference between Vietnam and China resulting in the new moon occurring on different days. Rarely, the dates of Vietnamese and Chinese Lunar New Year can differ as such in 1943, when Vietnam celebrated Lunar New Year, one month after China. It takes place from
4619-426: Is based upon the idea of reciprocity. Yì can be translated as righteousness , though it may mean what is ethically best to do in a certain context. The term contrasts with action done out of self-interest . While pursuing one's own self-interest is not necessarily bad, one would be a better, more righteous person if one's life was based upon following a path designed to enhance the greater good. Thus an outcome of yì
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4768-459: Is common as it is associated with good luck. Since the Vietnamese believe that the first visitor who a family receives in the year determines their fortune for the entire year, people never enter any house on the first day without being invited first. The verb of being the first person to enter a house at Tết is xông đất, xông nhà, or đạp đất, which is one of the most important customs during Tết. According to Vietnamese tradition, if good things come to
4917-509: Is doing the right thing for the right reason. Just as action according to lǐ should be adapted to conform to the aspiration of adhering to yì , so yì is linked to the core value of rén ( 仁 ). Rén consists of five basic virtues: seriousness, generosity, sincerity, diligence, and kindness. Rén is the virtue of perfectly fulfilling one's responsibilities toward others, most often translated as "benevolence", "humaneness", or "empathy"; translator Arthur Waley calls it "Goodness" (with
5066-571: Is found in this famous anecdote: 廄焚。子退朝,曰:傷人乎?不問馬。 When the stables were burnt down, on returning from court Confucius said, "Was anyone hurt?" He did not ask about the horses. This remark was considered a strong manifestation of Confucius' advocacy in humanism. One of his teachings was a variant of the Golden Rule , sometimes called the " Silver Rule " owing to its negative form: 子貢問曰:有一言而可以終身行之者乎?子曰:其恕乎!己所不欲、勿施於人。 Zi Gong [a disciple] asked: "Is there any one word that could guide
5215-678: Is generally the basis for China's standard civic purposes, aspects of the traditional lunisolar calendar remain, including the association of the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac in relation to months and years. The traditional calendar used the sexagenary cycle-based ganzhi system's mathematically repeating cycles of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches . Together with astronomical, horological, and phenologic observations, definitions, measurements, and predictions of years, months, and days were refined to an accurate standard. Astronomical phenomena and calculations emphasized especially
5364-471: Is important to retain harmony within the household during the first three days of Tết. Engaging in conflict, arguments, or exhibiting any feelings of anger and hatred may bring upon bad luck for the upcoming year. During subsequent days, people visit relatives and friends. Traditionally but not strictly, the second day of Tết is usually reserved for friends, while the third day is for teachers, who command respect in Vietnam. Students in Vietnam are usually given
5513-455: Is less a religion than a secular morality. Proponents of religious Confucianism argue that despite the secular nature of Confucianism's teachings, it is based on a worldview that is religious. Confucius was considered more of a humanist than a spiritualist, his discussions on afterlife and views concerning Heaven remained indeterminate, and he is largely unconcerned with spiritual matters often considered essential to religious thought, such as
5662-462: Is not true righteousness. Cultivating knowledge and sincerity is also important for one's own sake; the superior person loves learning for the sake of learning and righteousness for the sake of righteousness. The Confucian theory of ethics as exemplified in lǐ ( 禮 ) is based on three important conceptual aspects of life: (a) ceremonies associated with sacrifice to ancestors and deities of various types, (b) social and political institutions, and (c)
5811-438: Is said to have worked in various government jobs during his early 20s, and as a bookkeeper and a caretaker of sheep and horses, using the proceeds to give his mother a proper burial. When his mother died, Confucius (aged 23) is said to have mourned for three years , as was the tradition. In Confucius's time, the state of Lu was headed by a ruling ducal house. Under the duke were three aristocratic families , whose heads bore
5960-476: Is the study of periodic events in biological life cycles and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate , as well as habitat factors (such as elevation ). The plum-rains season ( 梅雨 ), the rainy season in late spring and early summer, begins on the first bǐng day after Mangzhong ( 芒種 ) and ends on the first wèi day after Xiaoshu ( 小暑 ). The Three Fu ( 三伏 ; sānfú ) are three periods of hot weather, counted from
6109-406: Is the symbol of strength in the Vietnamese culture that is used to scare away evil spirits. After the parade, families, and friends come together to have a feast of traditional Vietnamese dishes and share the happiness and joy of the New Year with one another. This is also the time when the elders will hand out red envelopes with money to the children for good luck in exchange for Tết greetings. It
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6258-457: Is thought that Confucius was born on 28 September 551 BCE, in Zou ( 鄒 , in modern Shandong ). The area was notionally controlled by the kings of Zhou but effectively independent under the local lords of Lu , who ruled from the nearby city of Qufu. His father Kong He (or Shuliang He) was an elderly commandant of the local Lu garrison. His ancestry traced back through the dukes of Song to
6407-446: Is usually decorated by Yellow Apricot blossoms ( hoa mai ) in the central and southern parts of Vietnam, peach blossoms ( hoa đào ) in the northern part of Vietnam, or St. John's wort ( hoa ban ) in the mountain areas. In the north, some people (especially the elite in the past) also decorate their house with plum blossoms (also called hoa mơ in Vietnamese but referring to a totally different species from mickey-mouse blossoms). In
6556-752: Is usually lễ hội, a Sino-Vietnamese word, 禮會. Vietnamese people usually return to their families during Tết. Some return to worship at the family altar or visit the graves of their ancestors in their homeland. They also clear up the graves of their families as a sign of respect. Although Tết is a national holiday among all Vietnamese, each region and religion has its own customs. Many Vietnamese prepare for Tết by cooking special holiday food and doing house cleaning. These foods include bánh tét , bánh chưng , bánh dày , canh khổ qua , thịt kho hột vịt , dried young bamboo soup ( canh măng ), giò , and xôi ( sticky rice ). Many customs and traditions are practiced during Tết, such as visiting
6705-472: The Analects . Confucius's disciples and his only grandson, Zisi , continued his philosophical school after his death. These efforts spread Confucian ideals to students who then became officials in many of the royal courts in China, thereby giving Confucianism the first wide-scale test of its dogma . Two of Confucius's most famous later followers emphasized radically different aspects of his teachings. In
6854-537: The Gregorian calendar , the traditional Chinese calendar governs holidays, such as the Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival , in both China and overseas Chinese communities. It also provides the traditional Chinese nomenclature of dates within a year which people use to select auspicious days for weddings , funerals, moving or starting a business. The evening state-run news program Xinwen Lianbo in
7003-500: The People's Republic of China continues to announce the months and dates in both the Gregorian and the traditional lunisolar calendar. The Chinese calendar system has a long history, which has traditionally been associated with specific dynastic periods . Various individual calendar types have been developed with different names. In terms of historical development, some of the calendar variations are associated with dynastic changes along
7152-574: The Shang dynasty which had preceded the Zhou. Traditional accounts of Confucius's life relate that Kong He's grandfather had migrated the family from Song to Lu. Not all modern scholars accept Confucius's descent from Song nobility. Kong He died when Confucius was three years old, and Confucius was raised by his mother Yan Zhengzai ( 顏徵在 ) in poverty. His mother later died at less than 40 years of age. At age 19, he married Lady Qiguan ( 亓官氏 ), and
7301-687: The Silver Rule , or a negative form of the Golden Rule , advising, "Do not do unto others what you do not want done to yourself." The time of Confucius's life saw a rich diversity of thought , and was a formative period in China's intellectual history. His ideas gained in prominence during the Warring States period , but experienced setback immediately following the Qin conquest . Under Emperor Wu of Han , Confucius's ideas received official sanction, with affiliated works becoming mandatory readings for career paths leading to officialdom. During
7450-679: The Tang and Song dynasties, Confucianism developed into a system known in the West as Neo-Confucianism , and later as New Confucianism . From ancient dynasties to the modern era, Confucianism has integrated into the Chinese social fabric and way of life. Traditionally, Confucius is credited with having authored or edited many of the ancient texts including all of the Five Classics . However, modern scholars exercise caution in attributing specific assertions to Confucius himself, for at least some of
7599-691: The Yellow Emperor 's ascension at 2697 BCE and began the Chinese calendar with the reign of Fuxi (which, according to Martini, began in 2952 BCE). Philippe Couplet 's 1686 Chronological table of Chinese monarchs ( Tabula chronologica monarchiae sinicae ) gave the same date for the Yellow Emperor. The Jesuits' dates provoked interest in Europe, where they were used for comparison with Biblical chronology. Modern Chinese chronology has generally accepted Martini's dates, except that it usually places
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#17327731146587748-577: The winter solstice . Song 's Yin calendar ( 殷曆 ; 殷历 ) began its year on the day of the new moon after the winter solstice. After Qin Shi Huang unified China under the Qin dynasty in 221 BCE, the Qin calendar ( 秦曆 ; 秦历 ) was introduced. It followed most of the rules governing the Zhuanxu calendar, but the month order was that of the Xia calendar; the year began with month 10 and ended with month 9, analogous to
7897-474: The works attributed to Confucius were made the official imperial philosophy and required reading for civil service examinations in 140 BCE which was continued nearly unbroken until the end of the 19th century. As Mohism lost support by the time of the Han, the main philosophical contenders were Legalism, which Confucian thought somewhat absorbed, the teachings of Laozi , whose focus on more spiritual ideas kept it from direct conflict with Confucianism, and
8046-707: The 16th century during the late Ming dynasty . The first known effort was by Michele Ruggieri , who returned to Italy in 1588 and carried on his translations while residing in Salerno . Matteo Ricci started to report on the thoughts of Confucius, and a team of Jesuits— Prospero Intorcetta , Philippe Couplet , and two others—published a translation of several Confucian works and an overview of Chinese history in Paris in 1687. François Noël , after failing to persuade Clement XI that Chinese veneration of ancestors and Confucius did not constitute idolatry , completed
8195-414: The 19 years cycle used for the 7 additional months was taken as an exact one, and not as an approximation. This calendar introduced the 24 solar terms , dividing the year into 24 equal parts of 15° each. Solar terms were paired, with the 12 combined periods known as climate terms. The first solar term of the period was known as a pre-climate (节气), and the second was a mid-climate (中气). Months were named for
8344-652: The 1900 international expedition sent by the Eight-Nation Alliance to suppress the Boxer Rebellion entered Beijing in the 4611th year of the Yellow Emperor. Taoists later adopted Yellow Emperor Calendar and named it Tao Calendar ( 道曆 ). On 2 January 1912, Sun Yat-sen announced changes to the official calendar and era. 1 January was 14 Shíyīyuè 4609 Huángdì year, assuming a year 1 of 2698 BCE, making 2024 CE year 4722. Many overseas Chinese communities like San Francisco's Chinatown adopted
8493-521: The Analects, Confucius described the importance of the poetry in the intellectual and moral development of an individual: The Master said, "My children, why do you not study the Book of Poetry ? " The Odes serve to stimulate the mind. "They may be used for purposes of self-contemplation. "They teach the art of sociability. "They show how to regulate feelings of resentment. "From them you learn
8642-642: The COVID-19 pandemic, most provinces and cities canceled the fireworks displays; instead, the displays were only held in Hanoi and several provinces with public gatherings prohibited. In 2022, due to the aforementioned pandemic, all provinces canceled the firework displays due to financial reasons. In Australia , Canada & the United States, there are fireworks displays at many of its festivals, although in 2021 they were either held virtually or canceled. In
8791-608: The Chinese calendar also includes variations of the modern Chinese calendar, influenced by the Gregorian calendar . Variations include methodologies of the People's Republic of China and Taiwan . In China, the modern calendar is defined by the Chinese national standard GB/T 33661–2017, "Calculation and Promulgation of the Chinese Calendar", issued by the Standardization Administration of China on 12 May 2017. Although modern-day China uses
8940-439: The Chinese calendar are associated with political changes, such as dynastic succession. Solar and agricultural calendars have a long history in China. Purely lunar calendar systems were known in China; however, purely lunar calendars tended to be of limited utility, and were not widely accepted by farmers, who for agricultural purposes needed to focus on predictability of seasons for planting and harvesting purposes, and thus required
9089-402: The Chinese calendar to force everyone to use the Gregorian calendar, and even abolished the Lunar New Year, but faced great opposition. The public needed the astronomical Chinese calendar to do things at a proper time, for example farming and fishing; also, a wide spectrum of festivals and customs observations have been based on the calendar. The government finally compromised and rebranded it as
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#17327731146589238-576: The Christian era has occasionally been used: No reference date is universally accepted. The most popular is the Gregorian calendar ( 公曆 ; 公历 ; gōnglì ; 'common calendar'). During the 17th century, the Jesuit missionaries tried to determine the epochal year of the Chinese calendar. In his Sinicae historiae decas prima (published in Munich in 1658), Martino Martini (1614–1661) dated
9387-421: The Gregorian calendar has been used as the standard basis for civic calendars. The name of calendar is in Chinese : 曆 ; pinyin : lì , and was represented in earlier character forms variants ( 歷, 厤 ), and ultimately derived from an ancient form (秝). The ancient form of the character consists of two stalks of rice plant ( 禾 ), arranged in parallel. This character represents the order in space and also
9536-574: The Ji's palace complex and ascended the Wuzi Terrace. Confucius ordered two officers to lead an assault against the rebels. At least one of the two officers was a retainer of the Ji family, but they were unable to refuse the orders while in the presence of the duke, viscounts, and court. The rebels were pursued and defeated at Gu. Immediately after the revolt was defeated, the Ji family razed the Bi city walls to
9685-486: The United States, a popular show that many individuals engage in is Paris by Night . Gặp nhau cuối năm ("Year-end meet") is a nationally known satirical theatrical comedy show, broadcast on VTV on New Year's Eve. From 2020 to 2043. In the weeks leading up to Tet, celebratory songs are played throughout Vietnam. One song, Ngày Tết Quê Em (Tet in My Homeland) was released by Linh Trang and Xuan Mai in 2006. It
9834-584: The Vietnamese region, suggesting that Tết may have indigenous roots independent of Chinese influence. Confucius wrote in the Book of Rites : "I do not know what Tết is, but I have heard it is the name of a great festival of the Man people, where they dance wildly, drink alcohol, and celebrate during those days." The 4th century chronicle Jiaozhou ji states, "The people of Jiao District often gather in guilds to sing, dance, eat, and celebrate for many days to rejoice in
9983-634: The Warring States, especially by states fighting Zhou control during the Warring States period (perhaps 475 BCE - 221 BCE). The state of Lu issued its own Lu calendar( 魯曆 ; 鲁历 ). Jin issued the Xia calendar ( 夏曆 ; 夏历 ) with a year beginning on the day of the new moon nearest the March equinox . Qin issued the Zhuanxu calendar ( 顓頊曆 ; 颛顼历 ), with a year beginning on the day of the new moon nearest
10132-418: The agricultural calendar in 1947, depreciating the calendar to merely agricultural use. After the end of the imperial era, there are some almanacs based upon the algorithm of the last Imperial calendar with longitude of Peking . Such almanacs were under the name of "universal book" 通書 , or under Cantonese name 通勝 , transcribed as Tung Shing . And later these almanacs moved to new calculation based on
10281-456: The amount of work retailers do in order to be prepared for the surge of shopping in preparation for the holiday. Chinese calendar The traditional Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar dating from the Han dynasty that combines solar, lunar, and other cycles for various social and agricultural purposes. While the Gregorian calendar has been adopted and adapted in various ways, and
10430-478: The authority of the state to the duke by dismantling the fortifications of the city—strongholds belonging to the three families. This way, he could establish a centralized government. However, Confucius relied solely on diplomacy as he had no military authority himself. In 500 BCE , Hou Fan—the governor of Hou—revolted against his lord of the Shu family. Although the Meng and Shu families unsuccessfully besieged Hou,
10579-473: The basis of their moral merits instead of lineage. These would be rulers devoted to their people, striving for personal and social perfection , and such a ruler would spread his own virtues to the people instead of imposing proper behavior with laws and rules. While Confucius supported the idea of government ruling by a virtuous king, his ideas contained a number of elements to limit the power of rulers. He argued for representing truth in language, and honesty
10728-478: The bird competition and ngâm thơ competition. Fireworks displays have also become a traditional part of a Tết celebration in Vietnam. During New Year's Eve, fireworks displays at major cities, such as Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City , and Da Nang , are broadcast through multiple national and local TV channels, accompanied by New Year wishes of the incumbent president . In 2017 only, fireworks displays were prohibited due to political and financial reasons. In 2021, due to
10877-433: The birth of Confucius. Also, many dynasties had their own dating systems, which could include regnal eras based on the inauguration of a dynasty, the enthronement of a particular monarch, or eras arbitrarily designated due to political or other considerations, such as a desire for a change of luck. Era names are useful for determining dates on artifacts such as ceramics, which were often traditionally dated by an era name during
11026-407: The centuries after his death, Mencius ( 孟子 ) and Xunzi ( 荀子 ) both composed important teachings elaborating in different ways on the fundamental ideas associated with Confucius. Mencius (4th century BCE ) articulated the innate goodness in human beings as a source of the ethical intuitions that guide people towards rén , yì , and lǐ , while Xunzi (3rd century BCE ) underscored
11175-529: The change. The modern Chinese standard calendar uses the epoch of the Gregorian calendar, which is on 1 January of the year 1 CE. Lunisolar calendars involve correlations of the cycles of the sun (solar) and the moon (lunar). A solar calendar (also called the Tung Shing , the Yellow Calendar or Imperial Calendar , both alluding to Yellow Emperor ) keeps track of the seasons as the earth and
11324-448: The coldest days of the year. Each nine-day unit is known by its order in the set, followed by "nine" ( 九 ). In traditional Chinese culture , "nine" represents the infinity, which is also the number of "Yang". According to one belief nine times accumulation of "Yang" gradually reduces the "Yin", and finally the weather becomes warm. Lunar months were originally named according to natural phenomena. Current naming conventions use numbers as
11473-596: The country's official calendar at the beginning of the 20th century, its use has continued. The Republic of China Calendar published by the Beiyang government of the Republic of China still listed the dates of the Chinese calendar in addition to the Gregorian calendar. In 1929, the Nationalist government tried to ban the traditional Chinese calendar. The Kuómín Calendar published by the government no longer listed
11622-508: The courts of these states, he expounded his political beliefs but did not see them implemented. According to the Zuozhuan , Confucius returned home to his native Lu when he was 68, after he was invited to do so by Ji Kangzi, the chief minister of Lu. The Shiji depicts him spending his last years teaching 3000 pupils, with 72 or 77 accomplished disciples that mastered the Six Arts . Meanwhile, Confucius dedicated himself in transmitting
11771-516: The dates of the Chinese calendar. However, Chinese people were used to the traditional calendar and many traditional customs were based on the Chinese calendar. The ban failed and was lifted in 1934. The latest Chinese calendar was " New Edition of Wànniánlì , revised edition", edited by Beijing Purple Mountain Observatory, People's Republic of China. From 1645 to 1913 the Shíxiàn or Chongzhen
11920-418: The day. Since the intercalary month is determined by the first month without a mid-climate and the mid-climate time varies by time zone, countries that adopted the calendar but calculate with their own time could vary from the time in China. Confucius Confucius ( 孔子 ; pinyin: Kǒngzǐ ; lit. ' Master Kong ' ; c. 551 – c. 479 BCE ), born Kong Qiu ( 孔丘 ),
12069-437: The destruction of the Meng family. Even though Viscount Meng Yi gave his word not to interfere with an attempt, he went back on his earlier promise to dismantle the walls. Later in 498 BCE , Duke Ding of Lu personally went with an army to lay siege to Cheng in an attempt to raze its walls to the ground, but he did not succeed. Thus, Confucius could not achieve the idealistic reforms that he wanted including restoration of
12218-404: The development of the calendar include Gan De , Shi Shen , and Zu Chongzhi Early technological developments aiding in calendar development include the development of the gnomon . Later technological developments useful to the calendar system include naming, numbering and mapping of the sky, the development of analog computational devices such as the armillary sphere and the water clock, and
12367-411: The duke and the three viscounts together at the court. Zhong You was one of the disciples of Confucius and Confucius had arranged for him to be given the position of governor by the Ji family. When Confucius heard of the raid, he requested that Viscount Ji Huan allow the duke and his court to retreat to a stronghold on his palace grounds. Thereafter, the heads of the three families and the duke retreated to
12516-464: The duke neglected to send to Confucius a portion of the sacrificial meat that was his due according to custom, and Confucius seized upon this pretext to leave both his post and the Lu state. After Confucius's resignation, he travelled around the principality states of north-east and central China including Wey , Song , Zheng , Cao , Chu , Qi , Chen , and Cai (and a failed attempt to go to Jin ). At
12665-406: The duke of Lu. The duke indulged himself in pleasure and did not attend to official duties for three days. Confucius was disappointed and resolved to leave Lu and seek better opportunities, yet to leave at once would expose the misbehavior of the duke and therefore bring public humiliation to the ruler Confucius was serving. Confucius therefore waited for the duke to make a lesser mistake. Soon after,
12814-544: The early Qing dynasty , Johann Adam Schall von Bell submitted the calendar which was edited by the lead of Xu Guangqi to the Shunzhi Emperor . The Qing government issued it as the Shíxiàn (seasonal) calendar. In this calendar, the solar terms are 15° each along the ecliptic and it can be used as a solar calendar . However, the length of the climate term near the perihelion is less than 30 days and there may be two mid-climate terms. The Shíxiàn calendar changed
12963-496: The earth with the sun, including the four key points of the spring equinox , autumnal equinox , winter solstice , and summer solstice . Tết begins on the first day of lunar January, marking the start of a new year and a new farming cycle. Historian Trần Văn Giáp asserts that there are many ways to divide time into months and years. From the beginning, each ethnic group had its own way of dividing months and years. According to Trần's research, Tết Nguyên Đán in Vietnam dates back to
13112-432: The efforts to mathematically correlate the solar and lunar cycles from the perspective of the earth, which, however, are known to require some degree of numeric approximation or compromises. The general use of the Gregorian calendar includes the observing traditional lunisolar holidays. There are many types and subtypes of the Chinese calendar, partly reflecting developments in astronomical observation and horology , with over
13261-431: The end of the year. The Qiang and Dai calendars are modern versions of the Zhuanxu calendar, used by mountain peoples. The first lunisolar calendar was the Zhou calendar ( 周曆 ; 周历 ), introduced under the Zhou dynasty (1046 BCE – 256 BCE). This calendar sets the beginning of the year at the day of the new moon before the winter solstice. Several competing lunisolar calendars were also introduced as Zhou devolved into
13410-478: The establishment of observatories. From the Warring States period (ending in 221 BCE), six especially significant calendar systems are known to have begun to be developed. Later on, during their future course in history, the modern names for the ancient six calendars were also developed, and can be translated into English as Huangdi, Yin, Zhou, Xia, Zhuanxu, and Lu. There are various Chinese terms for calendar variations including: The traditional Chinese calendar
13559-418: The etiquette of daily behavior. Some believed that lǐ originated from the heavens, but Confucius stressed the development of lǐ through the actions of sage leaders in human history. His discussions of lǐ seem to redefine the term to refer to all actions committed by a person to build the ideal society, rather than those conforming with canonical standards of ceremony. In the early Confucian tradition, lǐ
13708-421: The first gēng day after the summer solstice. The first fu ( 初伏 ; chūfú ) is 10 days long. The mid- fu ( 中伏 ; zhōngfú ) is 10 or 20 days long. The last fu ( 末伏 ; mòfú ) is 10 days from the first gēng day after the beginning of autumn. The Shujiu cold days ( 數九 ; shǔjǐu ; 'counting to nine') are the 81 days after the winter solstice (divided into nine sets of nine days), and are considered
13857-504: The first century AD. The origin and meaning of Tết Nguyên Đán have been prevalent since then. According to the legend of Banh Chưng Bánh Giầy , the Vietnamese have celebrated Tết since before the time of the Hung Kings . The legend of Lang Lieu and Banh Chung also suggests that Tết existed over a thousand years before the period of Chinese domination. Confucius and ancient Chinese texts like "Jiaozhou ji" mention similar festivals in
14006-434: The first day of the first month of the Vietnamese lunar calendar (around late January or early February) until at least the third day. Tết is also an occasion for pilgrims and family reunions. They set aside the trouble of the past year and hope for a better and happier upcoming year. This festival can also be referred to as Hội xuân in vernacular Vietnamese, (festival – lễ hội, spring – mùa xuân). The Lunar Year holiday
14155-632: The following: In the Vietnamese language, to celebrate Tết is to ăn Tết , literally meaning "eat Tết", showing the importance of food in its celebration. Some of the food is also eaten year-round, while other dishes are only eaten during Tết. Also, some of the food is vegetarian since it is believed to be good luck to eat vegetarian on Tết. Some traditional foods on Tết include the following: People enjoy traditional games during Tết, including bầu cua cá cọp , cờ tướng , ném còn , chọi trâu , and đá gà . They also participate in some competitions presenting their knowledge, strength, and aestheticism, such as
14304-457: The ground. The attackers retreated after realizing that they would have to become rebels against the state and their lord. Through Confucius' actions, the Bi officials had inadvertently revolted against their own lord, thus forcing Viscount Ji Huan's hand in having to dismantle the walls of Bi—as it could have harbored such rebels—or confess to instigating the event by going against proper conduct and righteousness as an official. Dubs suggests that
14453-507: The hour of the Pig on the 30th day or, if it is a short month, on the 29th day of the lunar December, and the hour of the Rat on the 1st day of the lunar January. Researcher Phan Cẩm Thượng, in his book " Customs of Human Life ", explains that the Vietnamese use the agricultural calendar or lunar calendar, which is based on the moon's rotation around the earth but also accounts for the 24 solar terms of
14602-415: The house first who might potentially bring any unfortunate events in the new year, to the household. This is a common practice done by many families. Sweeping during Tết is taboo, it is xui or rủi (unlucky), since it symbolizes sweeping the luck away; that is why they clean before the new year. It is also taboo for anyone who experienced a recent loss of a family member to visit anyone else during Tết. It
14751-447: The incident brought to light Confucius' foresight, practical political ability, and insight into human character. When it was time to dismantle the city walls of the Meng family, the governor was reluctant to have his city walls torn down and convinced the head of the Meng family not to do so. The Zuo Zhuan recalls that the governor advised against razing the walls to the ground as he said that it made Cheng vulnerable to Qi, and cause
14900-586: The legitimate rule of the duke. He had made powerful enemies within the state, especially with Viscount Ji Huan, due to his successes so far. According to accounts in the Zuo Zhuan and the Records of the Grand Historian , Confucius departed his homeland in 497 BCE after his support for the failed attempt of dismantling the fortified city walls of the powerful Ji, Meng, and Shu families. He left
15049-468: The location of Purple Mountain Observatory , with longitude of 120°E. An epoch is a point in time chosen as the origin of a particular calendar era , thus serving as a reference point from which subsequent time or dates are measured. The use of epochs in Chinese calendar system allow for a chronological starting point from whence to begin point continuously numbering subsequent dates. Various epochs have been used. Similarly, nomenclature similar to that of
15198-426: The lunar month was first described in the Tang dynasty Wùyín Yuán Calendar ( 戊寅元曆 ; 戊寅元历 ; 'earth tiger epoch calendar'). The Yuan dynasty Shòushí calendar ( 授時曆 ; 授时历 ; 'season granting calendar') used spherical trigonometry to find the length of the tropical year . The calendar had a 365.2425-day year, identical to the Gregorian calendar . Although the Chinese calendar lost its place as
15347-496: The mid-climate to which they were closest, and a month without a mid-climate was an intercalary month. The Taichu calendar established a framework for traditional calendars, with later calendars adding to the basic formula. The Dàmíng Calendar ( 大明曆 ; 大明历 ; 'brightest calendar'), created in the Northern and Southern Dynasties by Zu Chongzhi (429 CE – 500 CE), introduced the equinoxes. The use of syzygy to determine
15496-522: The mid-climate-term rule to "decide the month in sequence, except the intercalary month." The present traditional calendar follows the Shíxiàn calendar, except: To optimize the Chinese calendar, astronomers have proposed a number of changes. Gao Pingzi ( 高平子 ; 1888–1970), a Chinese astronomer who co-founded the Purple Mountain Observatory , proposed that month numbers be calculated before the new moon and solar terms to be rounded to
15645-547: The month names. Every month is also associated with one of the twelve Earthly Branches . The Chinese calendar has been a development involving much observation and calculation of the apparent movements of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, as observed from Earth. Many Chinese astronomers have contributed to the development of the Chinese calendar. Many were of the scholarly or shi class ( Chinese : 士 ; pinyin : shì ), including writers of history, such as Sima Qian . Notable Chinese astronomers who have contributed to
15794-524: The more immediate duty of serving one's father, and the remoter one of serving one's prince. "From them we become largely acquainted with the names of birds, beasts, and plants." Confucius frowned upon globalization encroaching on China, especially with music, and he preached against musical influences from Persians , Greco-Bactrians , and Mongols . Confucius's teachings were later turned into an elaborate set of rules and practices by his numerous disciples and followers, who organized his teachings into
15943-619: The nature of souls . One of the deepest teachings of Confucius may have been the superiority of personal exemplification over explicit rules of behavior. His moral teachings emphasized self-cultivation, emulation of moral exemplars, and the attainment of skilled judgment rather than knowledge of rules. Confucian ethics may, therefore, be considered a type of virtue ethics . His teachings rarely rely on reasoned argument, and ethical ideals and methods are conveyed indirectly, through allusion , innuendo , and even tautology . His teachings require examination and context to be understood. A good example
16092-620: The new Buddhist religion, which gained acceptance during the Southern and Northern Dynasties era. Both Confucian ideas and Confucian-trained officials were relied upon in the Ming dynasty and even the Yuan dynasty , although Kublai Khan distrusted handing over provincial control to them. During the Song dynasty , Confucianism was revitalized in a movement known as Neo-Confucianism. Neo-Confucianism
16241-778: The north of Qufu City in Shandong Province. Starting as a humble tomb, the cemetery of Confucius had been expanded by emperors since the Han Dynasty. To date, the Cemetery of Confucius (孔林) covers an area of 183 hectares with more than 100,000 graves of the Kong descendants, it is included in the World Heritage List for its cultural and architectural value. In the Analects , Confucius presents himself as
16390-481: The north or central, the kumquat tree is a popular decoration for the living room during Tết. Its many fruits symbolize fertility and fruitfulness which the family hopes in the coming year. Vietnamese people also decorate their homes with Hòn non bộ and flowers such as chrysanthemums ( hoa cúc ), marigolds ( vạn thọ ) symbolizing longevity, cockscombs ( mào gà ) in southern Vietnam, and paperwhites ( thủy tiên ) and orchids ( hoa lan ) in northern Vietnam. In
16539-462: The old wisdom by writing or editing the Five Classics . During his return, Confucius sometimes acted as an advisor to several government officials in Lu, including Ji Kangzi, on matters including governance and crime. Burdened by the loss of both his son and his favorite disciples, he died at the age of 71 or 72 from natural causes. Confucius was buried on the bank of the Sishui River , to
16688-400: The opportunity to put his principles into practice but he gave up on the idea in the end. Confucius disapproved the use of a violent revolution by principle, even though the Ji family dominated the Lu state by force for generations and had exiled the previous duke. Creel states that, unlike the rebel Yang Hu before him, Gongshan may have sought to destroy the three hereditary families and restore
16837-427: The order in time. As its meaning became complex, the modern dedicated character ( 曆 ) was created to represent the meaning of calendar. Maintaining the correctness of calendars was an important task to maintain the authority of rulers, being perceived as a way to measure the ability of a ruler. For example, someone seen as a competent ruler would foresee the coming of seasons and prepare accordingly. This understanding
16986-424: The past, there was a tradition where people tried to make their paperwhites bloom on the day of the observance. They also hung up Đông Hồ paintings and thư pháp calligraphy pictures. The traditional greetings are " Chúc Mừng Năm Mới " (祝𢜠𢆥㵋, Happy New Year) and " Cung Chúc Tân Xuân ", (恭祝新春, gracious wishes of the new spring). People also wish each other prosperity and luck. Common wishes for Tết include
17135-426: The people. Because his vision of personal and social perfections was framed as a revival of the ordered society of earlier times, Confucius is often considered a great proponent of conservatism, but a closer look at what he proposes often shows that he used (and perhaps twisted) past institutions and rites to push a new political agenda of his own: a revival of a unified royal state, whose rulers would succeed to power on
17284-480: The period of Chinese domination . However according to the official online newspaper of the Vietnamese government, some historical materials suggest otherwise. Tết's origins have been a subject of scholarly research for many generations. According to researcher Toan Anh, Tết Nguyên Đán is considered the first festival of the new year, beginning at midnight with the Trừ tịch ceremony. The ceremony usually takes place between
17433-413: The planets and the constellations (or mansions) of asterisms along the ecliptic. Many Chinese holidays and other areas both in ancient and modern times have been determined by the traditional lunisolar calendar or considerations based upon the lunisolar calendar; and, which now are generally combined with more modern calendar considerations. The traditions of the lunisolar calendar remain very popular and
17582-559: The political, and the resulting disparities between different calendars is significantly notable. Various similar calendar systems are also known from various regions or ethnic groups of Central Asia , South Asia , and other ethnic regions. Indeed, the Chinese calendar has influenced and been influenced by most parts of the world these days. One particularly popular feature is the Chinese zodiac . The Chinese calendar and horology includes many multifaceted methods of computing years, eras, months, days and hours (with modern horology even splitting
17731-402: The power of the duke. However, Dubs is of the view that Gongshan was encouraged by Viscount Ji Huan to invade the Lu capital in an attempt to avoid dismantling the Bi fortified walls. Whatever the situation may have been, Gongshan was considered an upright man who continued to defend the state of Lu, even after he was forced to flee. During the revolt by Gongshan, Zhong You had managed to keep
17880-577: The preparation before Tết, the eve of Tết, and the days of and following Tết, respectively. The first day of Tết is reserved for the nuclear family . Children receive red envelopes containing money from their elders. This tradition is called "mừng tuổi" (happy age) in the North region and lì xì in the South region. Usually, children wear their new clothes and give their elders the traditional Tết greetings before receiving money. Wearing red clothing during Tết
18029-440: The production process. Historical variations of the lunisolar calendar are features of the Chinese calendar system. The topic of the Chinese calendar includes various traditional types of the Chinese calendar. As is generally the case with calendar systems, the Chinese calendars tend to focus on basic calendar functions, such as the identification of years, months, and days according to astronomical phenomena and calculations, with
18178-436: The punishment, but have no sense of shame. If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of the shame, and moreover will become good." ( Analects 2.3, tr. Legge). This "sense of shame" is an internalization of duty. Confucianism prioritizes creating a harmonious society over the ruler's interests, opposes material incentives and harsh punishments, and downplays
18327-611: The realistic and materialistic aspects of Confucian thought, stressing that morality was inculcated in society through tradition and in individuals through training. In time, their writings, together with the Analects and other core texts came to constitute the philosophical corpus of Confucianism . This realignment in Confucian thought was parallel to the development of Legalism , which held that humanity and righteousness were not sufficient in government, and that rulers should instead rely on statecrafts, punishments, and law. A disagreement between these two political philosophies came to
18476-406: The reign of the Yellow Emperor at 2698 BCE and omits his predecessors Fuxi and Shennong as "too legendary to include". Publications began using the estimated birth date of the Yellow Emperor as the first year of the Han calendar in 1903, with newspapers and magazines proposing different dates. Jiangsu province counted 1905 as the year 4396 (using a year 1 of 2491 BCE, and implying that 2024 CE
18625-578: The role of institutions in guiding behavior as in Legalism , emphasizing moral virtues instead. Confucius looked nostalgically upon earlier days, and urged the Chinese, particularly those with political power, to model themselves on earlier examples. In times of division, chaos, and endless wars between feudal states, he wanted to restore the Mandate of Heaven ( 天命 ) that could unify the "world" ( 天下 , "all under Heaven") and bestow peace and prosperity on
18774-402: The seconds into very tiny sub-units using atomic methods). Epochs are one of the important features of calendar systems. An epoch is a particular point in time at which a calendar system may use as its initial time reference, allowing for the consecutive numbering of years from a chosen starting year, date, or time. In the Chinese calendar system, examples include the inauguration of Huangdi or
18923-410: The starting point for each individual and that these sacred social functions allow each person's human nature to be harmonious with reality. Given this, Confucius believed that "music is the harmonization of heaven and earth; the rites is the order of heaven and earth". Thus the application of music in rites creates the order that makes it possible for society to prosper. The Confucian approach to music
19072-409: The state of Lu without resigning, remaining in self-exile and unable to return as long as Viscount Ji Huan was alive. The Shiji stated that the neighboring Qi state was worried that Lu was becoming too powerful while Confucius was involved in the government of the Lu state. According to this account, Qi decided to sabotage Lu's reforms by sending 100 good horses and 80 beautiful dancing girls to
19221-413: The subordinates must advise their superiors if the superiors are considered to be taking a course of action that is wrong. Confucius believed in ruling by example, if you lead correctly, orders by force or punishment are not necessary. Confucius heavily promoted the use of music with rituals or the rites order. The scholar Li Zehou argued that Confucianism is based on the idea of rites. Rites serve as
19370-422: The summer of 501 BCE , the three hereditary families had succeeded in expelling Yang Hu from Lu. By then, Confucius had built up a considerable reputation through his teachings, while the families came to see the value of proper conduct and righteousness, so they could achieve loyalty to a legitimate government. Thus, that year (501 BCE ), Confucius came to be appointed to the minor position of governor of
19519-415: The sun move in the solar system relatively to each other. A purely solar calendar may be useful in planning times for agricultural activities such as planting and harvesting. Solar calendars tend to use astronomically observable points of reference such as equinoxes and solstices, events which may be approximately predicted using fundamental methods of observation and basic mathematical analysis. The topic of
19668-476: The texts and philosophy associated with him were of a more ancient origin. Aphorisms concerning his teachings were compiled in the Analects , but not until many years after his death. The name "Confucius" is a Latinized form of the Mandarin Chinese Kǒng Fūzǐ ( 孔夫子 , "Master Kong"), and was coined in the late 16th century by early Jesuit missionaries to China . Confucius's family name
19817-472: The title of viscount and held hereditary positions in the Lu bureaucracy. The Ji family held the position "Minister over the Masses", who was also the "Prime Minister"; the Meng family held the position "Minister of Works"; and the Shu family held the position "Minister of War". In the winter of 505 BCE , Yang Hu—a retainer of the Ji family—rose up in rebellion and seized power from the Ji family. However, by
19966-418: The tropical year. The 10 Heavenly Stems and 12 Earthly Branches were used to mark days. A third version is the balanced calendar ( 調曆 ; 调历 ). A year was 365.25 days, and a month was 29.5 days. After every 16th month, a half-month was intercalated. According to oracle bone records, the Shang dynasty calendar ( c. 1600 – c. 1046 BCE) was a balanced calendar with 12 to 14 months in
20115-478: The walls of Hou, the Ji family in razing the walls of Bi, and the Meng family in razing the walls of Cheng. First, the Shu family led an army towards their city Hou and tore down its walls in 498 BCE . Soon thereafter, Gongshan Furao, a retainer of the Ji family, revolted and took control of the forces at Bi. He immediately launched an attack and entered the capital Lu. Earlier, Gongshan had approached Confucius to join him, which Confucius considered as he wanted
20264-430: Was 時憲曆 . A ruler would issue an almanac before the commencement of each year. There were private almanac issuers, usually illegal, when a ruler lost his control to some territories. Various modern Chinese calendar names resulted from the struggle between the introduction of Gregorian calendar by government and the preservation of customs by the public in the era of Republic of China . The government wanted to abolish
20413-426: Was Kong ( 孔 , OC : * kʰˤoŋʔ ) and his given name was Qiu ( 丘 , OC : * [k]ʷʰə ). His courtesy name , a capping ( guan : 冠 ) given at his coming of age ceremony , and by which he would have been known to all but his older family members, was Zhongni ( 仲尼 , OC : * N-truŋ-s nr[əj] ), the "Zhòng" indicating that he was the second son in his family. It
20562-522: Was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the philosophy and teachings of Confucius. His philosophical teachings, called Confucianism , emphasized personal and governmental morality, harmonious social relationships , righteousness, kindness, sincerity, and
20711-539: Was a revival of Confucianism that expanded on classical theories by incorporating metaphysics and new approaches to self-cultivation and enlightenment, influenced by Buddhism and Daoism. The most renowned scholar of this period was Zhu Xi (1130-1200CE). There are clear Buddhist and Daoist influences in the Neo-Confucian advocacy of "quiet sitting" (meditation) as a technique of self-cultivation that leads to transformative experiences of insight." In his life, Zhu Xi
20860-539: Was also relevant in predicting abnormalities of the Earth and celestial bodies , such as lunar and solar eclipses . The significant relationship between authority and timekeeping helps to explain why there are 102 calendars in Chinese history, trying to predict the correct courses of sun, moon and stars, and marking good time and bad time. Each calendar is named as XX曆 and recorded in a dedicated calendar section in history books of different eras. The last one in imperial era
21009-423: Was customary to use firecrackers at individual homes; however, the government banned the production and use of these fireworks due to fatal accidents. In December 2020 a regulation was passed that allows “anyone aged 18 and older with legal capacity” to purchase sparklers for special occasions. The regulations went into effect on January 11, 2020. While the song is not inherently religious, it does reference pagodas,
21158-530: Was developed between 771 BCE and 476 BCE, during the Spring and Autumn period of the Eastern Zhou dynasty. Solar calendars were used before the Zhou dynasty period, along with the basic sexagenary system. One version of the solar calendar is the five-elements calendar ( 五行曆 ; 五行历 ), which derives from the Wu Xing . A 365-day year was divided into five phases of 73 days, with each phase corresponding to
21307-532: Was developed. During the late Ming dynasty , the Chinese Emperor appointed Xu Guangqi in 1629 to be the leader of the ShiXian calendar reform. Assisted by Jesuits, he translated Western astronomical works and introduced new concepts, such as those of Nicolaus Copernicus , Johannes Kepler , Galileo Galilei , and Tycho Brahe ; however, the new calendar was not released before the end of the dynasty. In
21456-428: Was doing the proper thing at the proper time; balancing between maintaining existing norms to perpetuate an ethical social fabric, and violating them in order to accomplish ethical good. Training in the lǐ of past sages, cultivates virtues in people that include ethical judgment about when lǐ must be adapted in light of situational contexts. In Confucianism, the concept of li is closely related to yì ( 義 ), which
21605-482: Was heavily inspired by the Classic of Poetry and the Classic of Music , which was said to be the sixth Confucian classic until it was lost during the Han dynasty . The Classic of Poetry serves as one of the current Confucian classics and is a book on poetry that contains a diversified variety of poems as well as folk songs. Confucius is traditionally ascribed with compiling these classics within his school. In
21754-444: Was largely ignored, but not long after his death, his ideas became the new orthodox view of what Confucian texts actually meant. Modern historians view Zhu Xi as having created something rather different and call his way of thinking Neo-Confucianism . Neo-Confucianism held sway in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam until the 19th century. The works of Confucius were first translated into European languages by Jesuit missionaries in
21903-420: Was of paramount importance. Even in facial expression , truth must always be represented. Confucius believed that if a ruler is to lead correctly, by action, that orders would be unnecessary in that others will follow the proper actions of their ruler. In discussing the relationship between a king and his subject (or a father and his son), he underlined the need to give due respect to superiors. This demanded that
22052-458: Was on the album Xuân Mai và Thiếu Nhi Cali 2 Hội chợ Cali. The song can be heard playing in many public places across the country. The song summarizes some of the main Tet traditions. During Tet, it is traditional for Vietnamese people to travel to their hometowns, hence the lyrics “People traveling here and there.” Typically, there are large fireworks displays in most major cities. Prior to 1995, it
22201-522: Was originally brought to Vietnam by the Chinese, who had formally incorporated Vietnam into their Han Dynasty empire in 111 BCE and mostly had ruled it for over 1000 years until the collapse of the Tang Dynasty in the 10th century. That historic period of Chinese rule had significantly influenced Vietnamese culture, language, and administration, as Chinese governors had attempted for complete sinicization. Vietnamese Lunar New Year today still retains
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