Why Are There 2 Seventh Lunar Months in 2006?
Many people asked me why there are 2 seventh lunar months this year. In fact, we may have heard in past years that there were duplicated lunar months (may be any month). So how did the duplicated month come about?
In general, it takes Earth about 365.24 days to revolve around the Sun but the 12 cycles of new moons and full moons that form a lunar year takes about 354.37 days. Therefore, the solar & lunar calendars differ by approximately 11 days every year. If this is not compensated, the gap between solar and lunar calendars will widen with time. Therefore, our ancestors have brilliantly added one more month to the lunar calendar every 2 to 3 years.
If you are still with me, Iet me go on to explain how we know which is the duplicated month. The revolution of Earth around the Sun takes 1 year covering 360 degrees. For every 15 degrees, Earth will undergo a sub-seasonal change. Therefore, there are a total of 24 sub-seasons in a year (15 degrees x 24 = 360 degrees). For example, Qing Ming is one of the sub-seasons where Chinese will worship their ancestors. These 24 sub-seasons are further classified as 12 main sub-seasons and 12 mid sub-seasons. In normal circumstances, each solar calendar month will have one main sub-season and another mid sub-season.
In general, it takes Earth about 365.24 days to revolve around the Sun but the 12 cycles of new moons and full moons that form a lunar year takes about 354.37 days. Therefore, the solar & lunar calendars differ by approximately 11 days every year. If this is not compensated, the gap between solar and lunar calendars will widen with time. Therefore, our ancestors have brilliantly added one more month to the lunar calendar every 2 to 3 years.
If you are still with me, Iet me go on to explain how we know which is the duplicated month. The revolution of Earth around the Sun takes 1 year covering 360 degrees. For every 15 degrees, Earth will undergo a sub-seasonal change. Therefore, there are a total of 24 sub-seasons in a year (15 degrees x 24 = 360 degrees). For example, Qing Ming is one of the sub-seasons where Chinese will worship their ancestors. These 24 sub-seasons are further classified as 12 main sub-seasons and 12 mid sub-seasons. In normal circumstances, each solar calendar month will have one main sub-season and another mid sub-season.
Picture this, when the mid sub-season falls on the last day of a lunar month, the next lunar month will not have a mid sub-season. Why is that so? Remember most solar calendar months have 30 or 31 days whereas lunar months have 29 days. From one mid sub-season to another, it will takes 30 or 31 days. Therefore, the lunar month that does not have a mid sub-season will duplicate the preceding lunar month. For this year, the 7th mid sub-season of the year falls on the last day of the first Seventh lunar month (23 Aug 2006). As the next mid sub-season (the 8th mid sub-season) will occur 31 days later, the lunar month following the actual Seventh lunar month will miss the mid sub-season. Hence it has to duplicates the first Seventh lunar month.
A friend asked me if he can buy a new car in the lunar seventh month, if not may miss the good price if wait till the 2 seventh months are over. My answer to him is that there is no Feng Shui principles that say we cannot acquire properties, move house or marry in the seventh month. Just that in the Chinese custom, the lunar seventh month is the time when we pay respect to the deceased and ancestors. Therefore, the older generation may deemed it as inappropriate to carry out celebrations for the livings during this period. If he really cannot wait, just choose an auspicious date to carry out his purchase.
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