The Social Construction of Time: What is a Lunisolar Calendar? (Part I)

This past year, I was more diligent about living in accordance to the seasons, specifically the solar terms and lunar phases, and it’s really shifted the way I take care of myself. So, needless to say, as we gear up for 2023 on January 1st, I’m feeling enraged.

Okay, maybe not full rage mode but definitely more cranky than usual. The idea that at the tail end of the Water season — a time for rest, rejuvenation, and restoration — we’re meant to push forward into a whole new year seems ludicrous.

Bears are still hibernating, birds are still down South, the trees are still bare, and yet we as humans are out of synch with the rest of the natural world. It doesn't make sense. Rather than leaning in, and begrudgingly prepping for New Year Resolutions, I did what I do best as a researcher —

I got digging to figure out how the hell did we end up with this whack time system?

There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to how we measure time. [Spoiler: It’s not based on science or any observation of the laws of space.] In this 3-part series, The Social Construction of Time, I’ll break down — 1) the history of the solar, lunar, and lunisolar calendars), 2) my personal reclamation of the lunisolar calendar, and 3) the impact of time on our wellbeing.

Calendars — how we measure time — is a direct reflection of major events that shape a cultural identity. The Gregorian calendar (aka Solar calendar) is used in most countries including the United States, yet it was only created in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII who modified the Julian calendar for two reasons — 1) to correct the average solar year from 365.2425 days to 365.2422, and thus a leap year occurs every 4 years; and 2) to determine the date of Easter which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus.

The latter is pretty confusing but basically, the Gregorian calendar that most countries follow today is rooted in the Christian religion. Additionally, as the Solar calendar, it doesn’t take into account the monthly lunar phases. Time is measured by the Earth’s revolution around the Sun.

If the idea of heliocentrism screams Yang-obsession, the patriarchy, and colonialism “under the name of God” — then I’m with you. FYI — we’ll explore this in Part III.

But yeah, the calendar that most of us follow today is based arguing over the exact day of Jesus’ resurrection, the denial of the lunar phases on the Earth’s gravitational pull, and the sun being the center of the universe.

Lunar calendars, however, is based on the monthly cycles of the moon but do not make use of intercalation which is the insertion of a leap day, week or month into the calendar year. The Hijri calendar also known as the Islamic calendar is a pure lunar calendar that consists of 12 lunar phases in a year of 354 or 355 days.

The Lunisolar calendar is often mistakenly referred to as the lunar calendar — it’s not.

Unlike the lunar calendar, the lunisolar calendar corrects for the seasonal drifts by incorporating the monthly lunar cycles, and the time of the solar year. Basically, it’s a combo of the solar and lunar calendar with the addition of the intercalation hence — lunisolar. The months, however, are still determined by the lunar phases.

Many traditional agricultural cultures around the world used the lunisolar calendar as a way to measure time before the conversion of Christianity. In traditionally non-Christian countries like those in East Asia, continue to use the lunisolar calendar as a way to preserve the cultural identity.

A calendar is not only a way to measure time but also a method to structure a particular narrative.

For example, many secular holidays celebrated in the Solar calendar by the United States like Veterans Day, July 4th, and Memorial Day are based on war legacies. This says a lot about the United States which has one of the largest and most funded military in the world. The Lunisolar calendar, on the other hand, used in countries like China, Korea, and Vietnam center holidays on family gatherings, seasonal changes and honoring ancestors like Chuseok (Mid-Autumn festival), Lunar New Year, and the 5th solar term dedicated to honoring ancestors known as Cheongmyeong (Qing Ming) or Pure Brightness. This aligns with the cultural importance of filial piety.

In short, our calendars are a social construction.

Our decision to follow a particular calendar has less to do with following a measurement of time but rather our belief system. It’s a conscious decision to believe a particular story. But how does this “story” shape our personal narrative, and reclaiming our narrative?

Learn more about the 2023 Lunisolar Calendar. Be sure to get on the mailing list to receive a notification on Part II of this series in which I share the impact of the lunisolar calendar and my trauma healing as I realign with the Dao.