How common is 二十四節氣?

[jbradfor]

How common are the 二十四節氣?

For example, if you were to ask the (mythical) "typical" Chinese person to name all 24 of them, could they? Or at least recognize them and know about when they occur?

Or are only a couple well know, e.g. 冬至 and 清明, but not much beyond that?

[As an aside, I finally now know why 清明 is called 清明! I was wondering all these years what pure and bright have to do with graveyards, but now I realize it's the 二十四節氣 term for when that festival occurs.]

[xiaocai]

I learnt from my parents how to remember them without looking up a calendar. I don't know about other people though, because I think they don't teach this at school any more. I know roughly which days they will fall on but don't know how to get the exactly figures.

[skylee]

xiaocai, could you share how to remember them? I only know the solar ones - those falling on the 23rd of March, June, September, December and 清明.

[xiaocai]

There is a thyme for it:

春雨惊春清谷天，夏满芒夏暑相连；

秋处露秋寒霜降，冬雪雪冬小大寒。

上半年是六廿一，下半年是八廿三，

最多相差一两天⋯⋯

Can't remember the rest, and probably that is the part to tell you how to get the exact days, .

[skylee]

oh it is the one on the wiki.

[xiaocai]

Oh, it is. So as you can see it is actually quite easy to remember.