In traditional Chinese culture, the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are an important system for recording time. The combination of "Heavenly Stem 'Geng' and Earthly Branch 'Shen'" carries rich cultural connotations and folk beliefs. This article will explore the meaning of this concept and its significance in traditional customs.

Basic Concepts of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches

The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are a system used in ancient Chinese calendars to record years, months, days, and hours. There are ten Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui; and twelve Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai. These two systems are paired together to form 60 combinations, which are used cyclically to record time. The pairing of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches follows the principle of yin-yang complementarity, where yang Heavenly Stems are paired with yang Earthly Branches, and yin Heavenly Stems with yin Earthly Branches.

Specific Meanings of "Geng Day" and "Geng-Shen Day"

Geng Day refers to a day with the Heavenly Stem "Geng," while Geng-Shen Day is a specific day where the Heavenly Stem is "Geng" and the Earthly Branch is "Shen." In the traditional stem-branch calendar, there are six Geng Days: Geng Zi, Geng Yin, Geng Chen, Geng Shen, Geng Wu, and Geng Xu. As one of them, Geng-Shen Day has special significance and customs in folk traditions due to its unique combination.

Folklore about "Keeping Watch on Geng-Shen"

In folk legends, Geng-Shen Day is considered a day when a mysterious "insect" inside the human body ascends to heaven to report. To prevent this "insect" from leaving the body, people stay up all night on Geng-Shen Day, a custom known as "keeping watch on Geng-Shen." Ancient records state that keeping watch on Geng-Shen requires staying awake from the Zi hour to the next Zi hour, even if tired, to avoid the "insect" quietly leaving.

The Relationship between "Entering the Summer Heat" and Geng-Shen Day

The saying "Entering the Summer Heat fears meeting Shen" comes from the fact that if the day of "Entering the Summer Heat" coincides with Geng-Shen Day, people must follow the custom of keeping watch on Geng-Shen, meaning they cannot sleep all day. Since the time of "Entering the Summer Heat" is hot, people tend to feel drowsy, and not sleeping all day is obviously a challenge, hence the saying "Entering the Summer Heat fears meeting Shen."

The Connection between "Great Heat" and Red Clouds

In long-term agricultural culture, people have observed that if red clouds appear on the day of "Great Heat," it often indicates the occurrence of extreme weather such as typhoons. This is very unfavorable for the later growth of crops, potentially causing crops to fall over and affecting the harvest. Therefore, "Great Heat fears red clouds" reflects people's concerns about natural disasters and their emphasis on crop growth.

""Heavenly Stem is Geng and Earthly Branch is Shen"" is not merely a simple way to record time; it contains profound cultural connotations and folk beliefs. From the custom of "keeping watch on Geng-Shen" to the taboos surrounding Geng-Shen Day, and then to the connection between Great Heat and red clouds, these traditions reflect the observations of ancient people on natural phenomena and their respect for time. Through these customs and beliefs, we can glimpse the cultural landscape of ancient Chinese society and the wisdom of people's lives.