When I was writing about the Tang Chek festival a few days ago, my mind was on what comes next. What Chinese festival would we would be celebrating next? According to the calendar, the Chinese New Year holiday will fall on 01 February 2022 to coincide with the new moon.
At 4.52am (2052 UTC) on this date, the sun is calculated to have crossed the 315° longitudinal line in the sky. This important event heralds the annual Li Chun (立春) or the Coming of Spring. In the olden days when I was still staying in Seang Tek Road, my grandparents - all Baba Nyonyas in Penang - would more commonly say Jip Chun instead of Li Chun.
It is all cultural, by the way, nothing religious about Jip Chun at all. The sun crosses the imaginary longitudinal line in the sky. The day comes and the day goes. The only traditions that I shall attach to this day are to fill up the rice bucket to the brim and then stick a new piece of red paper with the character Chun (春) on it to signify continuous abundance for the forthcoming year.
That's all the symbolism I shall attach to the moment. And because the exact time of Jip Chun is in the early pre-dawn hours, at 4.52am, I shall wait for a more appropriate time to accomplish this task. After that? Well, it is still Chinese New Year after all. What DO you do during Chinese New Year, anyway?
By the way, I've been writing diligently about Jip Chun in this blog since Year 2007 and you can still read them here:
Li Chun. 2021
Li Chun, 2020
Li Chun, 2019
Li Chun, 2018
Li Chun, 2017
Li Chun, 2016
Li Chun, 2015
Li Chun, 2014
Li Chun, 2013
Li Chun, 2012
Li Chun, 2011
Li Chun, 2010
Li Chun, 2009
Li Chun, 2008
Li Chun, 2007
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