LUNAR CALENDAR

The Chinese calendar is primarily a lunar calendar, although solar influences were added over time. Each month begins with either a new moon or full moon... A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases. Instead of using a solar year like the commonly used Gregorian calendar, lunar calendars use a synodic month, which is about 29.53 days long. This is the time it takes for the Moon to go through a complete cycle of phases, from new moon to new moon again... Waxing crescent - We start to see a sliver of the Moon's illuminated side. The amount we see grows into a larger crescent over about 7-8 days.