WIDOW YEAR

2016 is what is termed as a Widow Year as there is no Lup Chun or Li Chun. The start of spring is before the lunar new year.

Read the article below to learn more about the Widow Year,

What is a Widow Year?

Marriage in a Year of No Lichun
A wedding in the Widow Year is unlucky and can have dire consequences, according to traditional beliefs in Chinese and other East Asian cultures. A Widow Year occurs when the first day of the Eastern solar calendar precedes the first day of the lunar calendar.

The Lunisolar Calendar and the Widow Year
In most parts of the world, the standard calendar is the Gregorian. It's a solar calendar, using days as units of time. In East Asia, though use of the Gregorian calendar is common, the traditional calendar is lunisolar, based on phases of the moon as well as cycles of the sun. A year is broken down into twenty-four solar terms or periods known as Jie Chi or jieqi.


The first of these solar terms is Lichun, also called Li Chun, Lap Chun (Cantonese) or Risshun (Japanese). The first day of Lichun marks the advent of spring. It can fall on February 3, 4 or 5 and is celebrated as Farmer's Day. In most years, Lichun begins on February 4.

Chinese New Year starts on the first day of the lunar year. New Year's Day is between late January and mid-February. The date changes every year.

Traditionally it falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. However, the calendar sometimes includes an intercalary (extra or leap) month. In this case the next lunar year begins on the third new moon after winter solstice. In 2016,  New Year's Day is February 8.

If the first day of Lichun precedes New Year's Day, the year is considered to have no Lichun, or no spring. A year of no Lichun is a Widow Year or Blind Year. The Year of the Sheep 2015-16 was a Widow Year, and so is the  Year of the Monkey. Recent and upcoming Widow Years include 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024.

Marriage in a Widow Year
It's said that a woman who marries in a year of no Lichun will be prematurely widowed, possibly due to events or circumstances she herself brings about. If you want to get married in a Widow Year and are worried about bad luck, you should get a personal horoscope reading to identify the most auspicious wedding days for you. Your best days for marriage are determined by your lunar zodiac sign, your partner's sign, your month, date and hour of birth, your name and partner's name, certain omens, tides, moon phases and more.

These days, many people don't believe in the superstition of the Widow Year. A wedding is a positive, joyful occasion. Marriages can be blessed with happiness, longevity and fulfillment even in a Widow Year.

If you want to get married, follow your heart. It's a fact of life that misfortune can happen during any year, and so can good fortune. It's most important for you and your beloved to celebrate true love, treasure the moments of beauty, work together in tough times, and make happy memories to last a thousand lifetimes.

Source: http://www.happywishingwell.com/widow-year.html