All 24 solar terms · 3/24
Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 · Jīngzhé
Named after the first spring thunder said to wake hibernating creatures; the term marks the start of spring ploughing. In parts of China people eat pears, and in Hong Kong and Guangdong the folk rite of 'beating the petty person' (打小人) is held at this time.
- Longitude of the Sun345°
- Jie / ZhongqiJie (节), a sectional term: it begins a month of the Four Pillars
- Sekki啓蟄 keichitsu
Awakening of Insects: when it begins, 2026 to 2031
| 2026 | 5 March 2026, 21:59 | 5 March, 13:59 UTC |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 6 March 2027, 03:39 | 5 March, 19:39 UTC |
| 2028 | 5 March 2028, 09:25 | 5 March, 01:25 UTC |
| 2029 | 5 March 2029, 15:17 | 5 March, 07:17 UTC |
| 2030 | 5 March 2030, 21:03 | 5 March, 13:03 UTC |
| 2031 | 6 March 2031, 02:51 | 5 March, 18:51 UTC |
Its three kō in Japan
- 蟄虫啓戸 sugomori mushi to o hiraku: Hibernating insects open their doors · 6 March 2027
- 桃始笑 momo hajimete saku: First peach blossoms · 11 March 2027
- 菜虫化蝶 namushi chō to naru: Caterpillars become butterflies · 16 March 2027
Calculated from the Sun's apparent position (PyEphem), to about a minute. Names, meanings and customs after the Hong Kong Observatory, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and UNESCO.