Meaning and Customs of Ipha (立夏) — the 7th of the 24 Solar Terms, Around May 5-7
Ipha (立夏) is the 7th of the 24 solar terms, entering around May 5-7 when the sun reaches celestial longitude 45°.
At a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 立夏 |
| Season | ☀️ Summer |
| Gregorian timing | Around May 5-7 |
| Solar longitude | 45° |
| Saju month command | Solar-term node (節) — the start of the month of Sa (巳) from this day |
| Key ideas | Threshold of summer, fresh greenery |
Meaning and Origin
Ipha means “summer (夏) stands up,” marking the beginning of summer in the solar-term calendar. It is the season of fresh greenery, when frogs call more often and fields deepen into green.
Customs and Foods
Around this time, people ate mugwort rice-cake crumble, and they read a full bloom of retusa fringe tree flowers as an omen of a good harvest. It was also when barley ears began to emerge, making farm households busier.
Saju and Solar Terms
The calendar used in myeongli, or Korean four-pillar astrology, moves by solar terms. Ipha is one of the 12 nodes (節), and from this day, the month pillar (月柱) in saju changes to the month of Sa (巳). This is why the month stem-branch of a birth chart is based on solar terms rather than the lunar calendar date.
Wisdom for This Time
In this seasonal transition, temperatures rise quickly. Before overloading your schedule, take care of hydration and your sleep rhythm first.
Learn More
- View all 24 solar terms: 24 Solar Terms Dictionary
- Today’s day pillar, zodiac, and tarot: Today’s Cosmos (oiyo.net)
- The saju calendar that moves by solar terms: Saju Encyclopedia
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 can vary by about a day each year.
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