Coming of autumn (立秋)

We are already well into August and somehow, I have just realised that today is rather unique. For one thing, today is the first day of the Chinese calendar's seventh lunar month. That's the signal for the Hungry Ghosts Festival, the time for ghosts to leave their underworld home and roam in the land of the living. Wooo.... 👻👻

As I haven't been moving from the house much, least of all crossing the bridge to go over to the island because I have no permit to do so due to the Covid-19's movement control order, I don't know whether there have been any preparations by the community to hold the annual seventh lunar month Phor Tor worship of the God of Hades. I guess I shall have to drive into the Bukit Mertajam old town centre later to see whether the traditional effigy of the Phor Tor King is displayed.

The lunar month is also celebrated with worship in the houses and private temples to remember the deceased members of one's family. Regardless of whether there are any Phor Tor celebrations, these home worship sessions can take place on any convenient day during the lunar month. We are going to do ours on the 20th of this month which coincides with the 13th day of the lunar month. One day later, my Quah Kongsi will hold our traditional worship on the 14th day although it is very likely that we shall scale back on the worship. My vice-president will look into arranging the worship but we won't be allowing any member to come into the premises.

So what else is special about today? Well, it so happens that today marks the start of the solar term known as Coming of Autumn or Li Qiu (立秋) in the Chinese lunisolar calendar. If one is familiar with the Li Chun (立春) or Coming of Spring on the third or fourth of February every year, then Li Qiu occurs six months later. Typically, the Coming of Autumn starts on 7th or 8th August, depending on the exact position of the sun in the sky. 

It is the 13th of the 24 solar terms and the first for the three months of autumn. Traditionally in China, when a yellowed leaf flutters to the ground, all things are awakened from summer dreams by the sound of the leaf. Hence there is a saying that the fall of one leaf announces the coming of autumn.

Because the Chinese lunar months have no fixed begin and end dates and depends on the moon cycle whereas the Chinese lunisolar calendar has more or less fixed dates throughout the year, it is rather rare that the beginning of the Chinese seventh lunar month should coincide with the start of the 13th Chinese solar term. I can't think of a time when this last happened.