All 24 solar terms · 8/24
Grain Buds 小满 · Xiǎomǎn
Summer grains begin to fill but are not yet ripe, hence 'small fullness'. Eating bitter herbs (苦菜) is a custom, and silk regions of Jiangnan traditionally honoured the silkworm deity.
- Longitude of the Sun60°
- Jie / ZhongqiZhongqi (中气), a principal term: it fixes the months of the lunar calendar
- Sekki小満 shōman
Grain Buds: when it begins, 2026 to 2031
| 2026 | 21 May 2026, 08:37 | 21 May, 00:37 UTC |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 21 May 2027, 14:18 | 21 May, 06:18 UTC |
| 2028 | 20 May 2028, 20:10 | 20 May, 12:10 UTC |
| 2029 | 21 May 2029, 01:56 | 20 May, 17:56 UTC |
| 2030 | 21 May 2030, 07:41 | 20 May, 23:41 UTC |
| 2031 | 21 May 2031, 13:28 | 21 May, 05:28 UTC |
Its three kō in Japan
- 蚕起食桑 kaiko okite kuwa o hamu: Silkworms wake and feast on mulberry leaves · 21 May 2027
- 紅花栄 benibana sakau: Safflowers bloom · 26 May 2027
- 麦秋至 mugi no toki itaru: Wheat ripens · 1 June 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.