Definition

Danh từ: - Lunar calendar: A calendar system that calculates time based on the cycles of the Moon's phases. One lunar month is approximately 29.5 days, from one new moon to the next. The Vietnamese Âm Lịch is a lunisolar calendar, meaning it also incorporates solar cycles to keep the calendar aligned with the seasons. - Traditional calendar: Refers specifically to the traditional calendar system used in Vietnam and other East Asian cultures, which governs the dates of many festivals (e.g., Tết Nguyên Đán) and is used for astrology and selecting auspicious dates.

Usage Examples

• Danh từ:
  • Tết Nguyên Đán được tính theo âm lịch. (The Lunar New Year is calculated according to the lunar calendar.)
  • Hôm nay là ngày mồng 1 tháng 5 âm lịch. (Today is the 1st day of the 5th lunar month.)
  • Nhiều người vẫn xem âm lịch để chọn ngày lành tháng tốt. (Many people still consult the traditional calendar to choose an auspicious date.)

Advanced Usage

• The Vietnamese lunar calendar (Âm Lịch Việt Nam) is a complex system that combines the 10 Heavenly Stems (Thập Can) and the 12 Earthly Branches (Thập Nhị Chi), which correspond to zodiac animals, to form a 60-year cycle. Each year is named by a pair of one Stem and one Branch (e.g., Giáp Tý, Ất Sửu).
• Năm nhuận (leap year): To reconcile the lunar year with the solar year, a leap month is added approximately every three years.

Variants and Related Words

• Lịch ta (n): A colloquial term meaning "our calendar," commonly used to refer to the Vietnamese lunar calendar in contrast to the solar calendar ().
  • Theo lịch ta, tháng này có hai ngày rằm. (According to our traditional calendar, this month has two full moon days.)
• Lịch mặt trăng (n): A direct translation meaning "moon calendar," synonymous with lunar calendar.

Synonyms

• Lunar calendar: The general term for any calendar based on moon cycles.
• Lunisolar calendar: A more precise technical term for calendars like the Vietnamese one, which sync moon phases with the solar year.

Related Cultural Concepts

• Tết Nguyên Đán: The most important Vietnamese holiday, whose date is determined by the lunar calendar.
• Ngày Rằm (Full Moon Day) and Ngày Mồng Một (New Moon Day): Significant days each lunar month for religious and cultural observances.
• 12 Con Giáp (12 Zodiac Animals): The system of 12 animal signs (Tý/Rat, Sửu/Buffalo, Dần/Tiger, etc.) used to denote years, months, and times of day in the traditional calendar.

noun

1. Lunar calendar, moon calendar