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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
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The four seasons
What are the definitions of the four seasons?
Why do we say that the equinoxes and solstices mark the beginnings, rather than the midpoints, of the seasons?
June 21 is "Midsummer's Day", isn't it? But people will call it the first day of summer.
The Chinese will agree (approximately) with the "Midsummer's Day" definition. Look at a Chinese calendar (the kind you might get from a Chinese restaurant) to see how they define the seasons.
Or is it the weather that defines the seasons?
Why do we say that the equinoxes and solstices mark the beginnings, rather than the midpoints, of the seasons?
June 21 is "Midsummer's Day", isn't it? But people will call it the first day of summer.
The Chinese will agree (approximately) with the "Midsummer's Day" definition. Look at a Chinese calendar (the kind you might get from a Chinese restaurant) to see how they define the seasons.
Or is it the weather that defines the seasons?
Top answer
[nq:1]June 21 is "Midsummer's Day", isn't it? [/nq] The date varies slightly year to year. [nq:1]The Chinese will agree (approximately) with the "Midsummer's Day" definition.
- [nq:1]June 21 is "Midsummer's Day", isn't it?
- [/nq] The date varies slightly year to year.
- [nq:1]The Chinese will agree (approximately) with the "Midsummer's Day" definition.
- [/nq] The Chinese calendar marks the beginning of each season by the term "li", as in Licun, Lixia, Liqiu and Lidong which are four of the 24 terms in the agricultural calendar.
- My mother who was a farmer, could recite the terms off by heart, and tell you when to plant something, and when it was to be harvested.
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51 Answers
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[nq:1]June 21 is "Midsummer's Day", isn't it? But people will call it the first day of summer.[/nq]
The date varies slightly year to year.
[nq:1]The Chinese will agree (approximately) with the "Midsummer's Day" definition. Look at a Chinese calendar (the kind you might get from a Chinese restaurant) to see how they define the seasons.[/nq]
The Chinese calendar marks the beginning of ea
The date varies slightly year to year.
[nq:1]The Chinese will agree (approximately) with the "Midsummer's Day" definition. Look at a Chinese calendar (the kind you might get from a Chinese restaurant) to see how they define the seasons.[/nq]
The Chinese calendar marks the beginning of ea
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some languages originally had 2, 4 or 6 seasons and determined them by various methods (some using the stars are subjcet to drift through the ages. Old Arabic had six, there is a broad turkish tradition of dividing the year into two (summer and winter, divided by the midpoints of spring and autumn).
AFAIK the system we currently used was used by the Babylonians, and most langauges have adapted
AFAIK the system we currently used was used by the Babylonians, and most langauges have adapted
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[nq:1]What are the definitions of the four seasons?[/nq]
Pretty rings, loveliness, rich increase, icy fangs ...
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
The teeming autumn, big with rich increase,
Bearin
Pretty rings, loveliness, rich increase, icy fangs ...
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
The teeming autumn, big with rich increase,
Bearin
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[nq:1]some languages originally had 2, 4 or 6 seasons and determined them by various methods (some using the stars are ... broad turkish tradition of dividing the year into two (summer and winter, divided by the midpoints of spring and autumn).[/nq]
Two seasons is mostly what we get here. Before retirement, with typical big-city attire, I had a light but insulated overcoat, which I usually wor
Two seasons is mostly what we get here. Before retirement, with typical big-city attire, I had a light but insulated overcoat, which I usually wor
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[nq:1]What are the definitions of the four seasons? Why do we say that the equinoxes and solstices mark the beginnings, rather than the midpoints, of the seasons?[/nq]
Because we're pinheads. As we've seen before in a.u.e., English speakers in the southern hemisphere use a better definition (their winter begins on June 1, as I recall), which means that at least some of them are not pinheads.
Because we're pinheads. As we've seen before in a.u.e., English speakers in the southern hemisphere use a better definition (their winter begins on June 1, as I recall), which means that at least some of them are not pinheads.
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Jerry Friedman filted:
[nq:2]What are the definitions of the four seasons? Or is it the weather that defines the seasons?[/nq]
[nq:1]To some extent. If you say that Dec. 5 was a beautiful winter day in Minnesota, only the pedantic will correct your use of "winter".[/nq]
Just spotted on Excite's "Oddly Enough" news category:
LONDON (Reuters) - Shakespeare's most famous quotatio
[nq:2]What are the definitions of the four seasons? Or is it the weather that defines the seasons?[/nq]
[nq:1]To some extent. If you say that Dec. 5 was a beautiful winter day in Minnesota, only the pedantic will correct your use of "winter".[/nq]
Just spotted on Excite's "Oddly Enough" news category:
LONDON (Reuters) - Shakespeare's most famous quotatio
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[nq:1]What are the definitions of the four seasons? Why do we say that the equinoxes and solstices mark the beginnings, ... from a Chinese restaurant) to see how they define the seasons. Or is it the weather that defines the seasons?[/nq]
The seasons marked by solstice and equinox are astronomical, and have only a tenuous connection with the weather - consider the Southern hemisphere. In Canad
The seasons marked by solstice and equinox are astronomical, and have only a tenuous connection with the weather - consider the Southern hemisphere. In Canad
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[nq:1]The seasons marked by solstice and equinox are astronomical, and have only a tenuous connection with the weather - consider the Southern hemisphere. In Canada, we have two seasons, winter and a few days above freezing. Hah! :-)[/nq]
I thought that was, "a few days of tough sledding."
Brian Rodenborn
I thought that was, "a few days of tough sledding."
Brian Rodenborn
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[nq:1]The seasons marked by solstice and equinox are astronomical,[/nq]
I believe the meteorologists have their own definitions, with March-April-May being Northern Hemisphere spring, June-July-August summer, September-October-November fall/autumn, and the others winter. This is more in accord with common experience.
[nq:1]and have only a tenuous connection with the weather[/nq]
That s
I believe the meteorologists have their own definitions, with March-April-May being Northern Hemisphere spring, June-July-August summer, September-October-November fall/autumn, and the others winter. This is more in accord with common experience.
[nq:1]and have only a tenuous connection with the weather[/nq]
That s
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In Southpondia the seasons "officially" begin on the first day of the month preceding the equinox/soltice. Have been unable to determine how this began.
Izzy
Izzy
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