When does the calendar year in heavenly stems and earthly branches begin?

The calendar year in heavenly stems and earthly branches begins on that day in beginning of spring.

For example, this year (20 17) in beginning of spring is at 23: 34, 0 1 second on the seventh day of the first month on February 3 of the Gregorian calendar. From this moment on, the monkey and chicken handed over and officially entered the year of Ding You Rooster. Before that, the children born were monkeys. All the children born in the future are chickens.

The folk take the day of beginning of spring as the beginning of a year's farming, which is inherent in the custom of divining good and bad luck for a year on this day. It is considered that beginning of spring should be sunny but not cloudy, with sunny omen and abundant yin omen. Southern folk songs say, "Mysterious warmth, beginning of spring, farmers' stomachs are swollen. If the wind is dark, the grain is not abundant. "In Shandong area, it is generally believed that it will be cloudy in spring and insects will hurt beans. Others said, "A sunny day means good luck and a cloudy day means worry. "This day bogey: carry water to dig ash. Carrying water, depressed for a year, sleepy. I took out the dust, I took out a year of good luck. Avoid children fighting.