Beginning of Spring 立春

Beginning of Spring (Li Chun) is the first Solar Term of a year. It is on the 3rd, 4th or 5th of February, when the Sun is travelling to 315° celestial longitude.
立春是二十四节气中第一个节气，每年的 2 月 4 日或 5 日，太阳到达黄经 315° 时为立春。
The Chinese proverb says making the plans for the year in spring. Since ancient times, Chinese people have attached importance to spring and Beginning of Spring is also known as Da Chun, Yao Chun and Bao Chun, which is not only an old Solar Term but also a significant festival, containing numerous customs and ceremonies of thousands of years’ history.
民谚有“一年之计在于春”的说法，自古以来，“春”就被中国人民重视，“立春”又称“打春”、“咬春”、“报春”，既是一个古老的节气，又是一个重大的节日，千百年来流传下来许多风俗和仪式。
As early as the Zhou Dynasty approximately 3,000 years ago, ancient Chinese people obtained the custom of greeting Beginning of Spring. At that time, people worshiped Mang Shen in charge of agricultural activities. On that day, the emperor would lead the Three Councillors of State, Nine Ministers, feudal princes and other senior officials to hold the sacrificial ceremony to greet the spring in the suburbs, in order to pray for the big harvest of a new year.
早在 3000 年前的周朝，就有迎接“立春”的风俗。当时，百姓拜芒神为主管农事的春神。在立春当日，天子要率领三公九卿、诸侯大夫到郊外举行迎春祭祀仪式，祈求新一年农耕大丰收。
When it came to the Song Dynasty, such activities developed to a royal ceremony for governmental officials to express appreciation, known as Bai Chun. In the Qing Dynasty, greeting the spring was popularized to normal Chinese people and became an important folk activity for all people to participate. It is prevailing to eat spring roll, spring pancake and radish on the Beginning of Spring, also called as the custom of Yao Chun.
到宋朝时，迎春活动发展成为官吏互拜的一种宫廷仪式，称为“拜春”。到了清朝，迎春从宫廷走向民间，成为全民参与的重要民俗活动。在立春这一天有吃春盘、吃春饼、吃春卷、嚼萝卜的风俗，称为“咬春”。
Whipping the spring cattle is an old custom to greet the spring. As the symbol of agriculture, cattle played an indispensable role in the agricultural productivity and therefore, it was also highly valued on that day. In the early Zhou Dynasty, feudal officials employed mud, wood and paper to create cattle-liked statues, which would be whipped by people. After breaking the statue, people would collect and place the fragments at home to pray for a bumper harvest year.
鞭春牛也是一项古老的迎春习俗。作为农业的象征，牛在农业生产中发挥着不可或缺的作用，所以在立春当日也备受重视。官府用泥、木和纸塑造成耕牛形状，以供人们鞭打。春牛被打碎后，人们将碎片放置在家中，用以祈求丰年。