Meaning of Ipchun (立春) — the 1st of the 24 Solar Terms, around February 3-5
Ipchun (立春) is the 1st of the 24 solar terms, arriving around February 3-5 when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 315°.
At a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 立春 |
| Season | 🌱 Spring |
| Gregorian timing | Around February 3-5 |
| Solar ecliptic longitude | 315° |
| Saju monthly order | Solar term (節) — the start of In (寅) month from this day |
| Key ideas | Beginning of spring, new year, Ipchun couplets |
Meaning and Origin
Ipchun means “spring rises or begins (立),” and it is the first solar term of the 24. The cold is still sharp, but the angle of sunlight begins to change and the energy beneath the ground starts to awaken. In the East Asian sense of time, the year begins on this day. In myeongni, too, the standard for the new year is Ipchun, not Lunar New Year.
Customs and Foods
People attached Ipchun couplets reading “Ipchun Daegil (立春大吉), Geonyang Dagyeong (建陽多慶)” to gates or pillars to wish for good fortune in the year ahead. There was also a custom of digging up barley roots to divine the year’s farming prospects. For food, people ate five pungent greens such as green onion, garlic, and wild chive, called osinchae (五辛菜), to awaken the body after winter.
Saju and the Solar Terms
The calendar of myeongni moves by solar terms. Ipchun is one of the 12 major solar terms (節), and from this day, the month pillar (月柱) in saju changes to In (寅) month. This is why solar terms, rather than lunar calendar dates, are used when determining the sexagenary sign of the birth month.
Wisdom for This Time
The day the saju new year begins. If you make your plans for the year at Ipchun rather than Lunar New Year, you are living by the old calendar of time.
Learn More
- See all 24 solar terms: 24 Solar Terms Dictionary
- Today’s iljin, horoscope, and tarot: Today’s Universe (oiyo.net)
- A saju calendar moved by solar terms: Saju Dictionary
The solar terms are a seasonal calendar that divides the sun’s path into 24 parts. This is a traditional explanation based on the climate of the Korean Peninsula, and the actual date varies by about a day from year to year.
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