The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Start of Spring (Chinese: 立春), the first solar term of the year, begins this year on Feb 4 and ends on Feb 19.

中国传统的农历把一年分为24个节气，其中立春（Start of Spring）是第一个节气，今年的立春从2月4日开始，至2月19日结束。

Start of Spring lifts the curtain of spring. After that everything turns green and full of vigor; people clearly see that the daytime is becoming longer and the weather is becoming warmer.

立春揭开了春天的序幕。立春过后，万事万物都变成了绿色、充满了生机和活力；人们能够很清楚地观察到白天变得越来越长、天气变得越来越暖和。

Here are nine things you should know about Start of Spring.

以下是关于立春你应该知道的9件事。

Start of Spring and Spring Festival

一、立春曾经是春节？

As a solar term, Start of Spring had already entered people’s lives in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). At that time, there were eight solar terms. According to some experts, the 24 solar terms were used for the first time in books during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), when the Start of Spring was set as the Spring Festival. In 1913, the first day of the first month of the lunar year was mandated as the Spring Festival.

作为一个节气，春秋时期（公元前770年-公元前476年）人们就有了立春的说法。当时一年只有8个节气。一些专家认为，24节气第一次出现是在西汉（公元前206年-公元后24年）的书籍之中，当时人们把立春当做春节。直到1913年，农历正月第一天才被定为春节。

Flying a kite

二、春好风筝高

Spring is the best season for kite-flying. A traditional folk activity, it has a history of more than 2,000 years. It can help build one’s health and prevent diseases. It also has the effect of promoting blood circulation and speeding up metabolism. A breath of fresh air outside can discharge the foul smell accumulated in winter.

春天是放风筝的最好季节。放风筝是一项民间传统活动，已有2000多年历史。放风筝可以强健身体、预防疾病。放风筝还有促进血液循环、加速新陈代谢的作用。在户外呼吸一些新鲜空气也可以排出冬天积累下来的浊气。

Erecting the egg

三、鸡蛋能立起来

In China, it is said that the egg can be set upright on the first day of the Start of Spring, Spring Equinox day and Autumn Equinox day. It is believed that if someone can make the egg stand on the first day of Start of Spring, he will have good luck in the future.

在中国，据说在立春、春分和秋分第一天可以把鸡蛋竖立起来。据说如果有人能在立春第一天把鸡蛋竖着立起来，那他将来就会有好运气。

According to astronomers and physicists, setting the egg upright has nothing to do with time, but with mechanics. The most important thing is to shift the egg’s center of gravity to the lowest part of the egg. In this way, the trick is holding the egg until the yolk sinks as much as possible. For this, people should choose an egg about 4 or 5 days old, whose yolk is inclined to sink down.

据天文学家和物理学界表示说，把鸡蛋立起来和时间无关，但是和力学有关。最重要的是要把鸡蛋的重心移到最低点。这样，诀窍就是握住鸡蛋，使得蛋黄尽可能的下沉。因此，人们应该选择已经存放了4、5天的鸡蛋，蛋黄会下沉得更多一些。

Wearing fabric swallows

四、佩戴五彩丝燕

Wearing fabric swallows is a custom in some regions in Shaanxi. Every Start of Spring, people like to wear a swallow made of colorful silk on their chests. The custom originated during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The swallow is a harbinger of spring and a symbol of prosperity and happiness.

胸前佩戴一只织成的燕子是陕西一些地区的习俗。每当立春，人们喜欢在胸前佩戴一只用五彩丝织成的燕子。这个习俗起源于唐代（618-907）。燕子是一种报春鸟，是繁荣和幸福的象征。

Biting the spring

五、咬春

In many parts of China, people observe the custom of "biting the spring" on the first day of Start of Spring. They eat spring pancakes, spring rolls, or a few mouthfuls of carrots.

在中国许多地方，人们都遵守着立春第一天要“咬春”的习俗。人们会吃春饼和春卷，或者干脆咬几口萝卜。

Making a Spring Ox

六、立春做春牛

This custom in Shaanxi is practiced right before the Start of Spring. The local government hires some skilled artisans and gathers them to build the frame of an ox out of bamboo strips and the legs with wood. Then they paste some paper and paint onto it—and, voila! The image of an ox is complete. It is said that if more red and yellow paper is used, then there will be a good harvest that year; if black paper is pasted, then the year will be poor. When the paper ox is ready, there is a ritual to paint the eyes. After that, people will set up an altar for it and worship it.

陕西的习俗是要在立春之前就开始做春牛。当地政府会雇佣一些熟练的工匠，召集他们用竹条做出牛的骨架、用木头做成牛的腿。然后他们就会糊上纸、刷上颜色。瞧，一头“牛”就这样做好了！据说如果多用红色和黄色的纸，那年就会有个好收成；如果糊上了黑色的纸，那年的收成就会不好。当纸牛做好了之后，会有一个“做牛点睛”的仪式。在那之后，人们会给它修个祭坛，敬拜它。

Posting spring calligraphy and paintings

七、贴春联春画

The custom of posting calligraphy and paintings on one’s door in the spring first appeared during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). People would do so to welcome spring and pray for good luck on the first day of Start of Spring.

春天在门上贴春联春画的习俗第一次出现是在唐代（618-907）。人们会在立春第一天这么做，以此来迎接春天、祈求好运。

Appreciating plum blossoms

八、赏梅好时节

Plums blossom from the 12th lunar month to the second month of the next year. The plum blossom, as it fights against the cold, is the most highly regarded. In China, the plum blossom, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum are praised as the four gentlemen of Chinese flowers.

梅花会从农历腊月一直开到第二年二月。梅花因为能够抵抗严寒，所以在中国最受重视。在中国，梅、兰、竹、菊被誉为花中四君子。

Welcoming spring

九、迎春来到

People in China began holding a special ceremony on the first day of Start of Spring about 3,000 years ago. They made sacrifices to Gou Mang, the god of Spring, who is in charge of agriculture. By the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), greeting spring had become an important folk activity. In Beijing, government officials welcomed spring in the wild field near Dongzhimen (the east gate of Beijing).

大约3000年前，中国的人们会在立春第一天举行一场特殊的仪式。人们会献祭主管农业的春神句芒。在清朝（1644-1911）时期，迎春已经成为了一项重要的民俗活动。当时在北京，政府官员们会在东直门附近的野地里欢迎春天到来。

（来源：爱语吧）