The 24 Solar Terms · Start of Spring (Lichun)｜When Light Turns and Life Gently Moves

二十四节气 · 立春｜光开始转向，生活轻轻向前

Today marks Lichun, the Start of Spring.

In the system of the 24 Solar Terms, Lichun is regarded as the beginning of spring.

It does not announce itself through warmth or visible blossoms, but through subtle and measurable changes: the direction of sunlight, the gradual lengthening of daylight, and a quiet shift in nature’s rhythm.

If you pay attention to this morning, small details may stand out.

The sky brightens slightly earlier than before.

Midday sunlight reaches deeper into rooms.

Shadows fall at angles that are no longer purely winter.

今天，是立春。

在二十四节气中，立春被视为春季的开始。

它并不以气温回升或花开来宣告自己，

而是通过光的方向、白昼的变化，以及自然节律的调整，安静地到来。

如果留意今天的清晨，会发现一些细微却真实的变化。

天亮得比前几天早了一点；

中午的阳光更容易照进室内；

影子在地面上的位置，已经悄然不同。

Lichun does not mean that Spring has fully arrived.

It means that a new phase of the natural cycle has begun.

In traditional experience, winter is a time of conservation and inward focus.

After Lichun, the body gradually begins to shift from this state toward gentle expansion.

立春，并不是“春天已经来了”，

而是自然在告诉我们：新的阶段已经开始运行。

在传统经验中，冬季强调收敛与保存。

而立春之后，身体开始从“冬藏”的状态，慢慢转向“舒展”。

This transition does not require effort or force. It unfolds gradually and naturally.

During this period, the body often becomes more sensitive to light, daily rhythm, and movement.

For this reason, Lichun is a time for subtle adjustments rather than sudden change.

这种转变不需要用力完成，它更像是一个缓慢、温和的过程。

在这个节气里，身体往往会对光线、作息和活动量更加敏感。

因此，立春适合的是微调，而不是突然改变。

Diet

After Lichun, meals can slowly become lighter than in winter.

There is no need for heavy nourishment.Fresh, seasonal foods—especially greens—are often enough.

饮食

立春后，饮食可以慢慢从冬季的厚重中退出来。

不必追求复杂的“进补”，清淡、新鲜、当季，往往更合适。

Daily rhythm

There is no need to wake up early all at once.

But going to bed slightly earlier and waking slightly earlier helps the body follow the changing light.

作息

不需要立刻早起，

但可以比冬天稍微早一点入睡、早一点醒来，

让身体顺着光的变化，而不是对抗它。

Movement

Lichun is a good time to begin moving again—but gently.

A relaxed walk or light stretching is enough to reawaken circulation.

活动

立春适合“开始动”，但不适合用力。

一段轻松的散步，一次温和的伸展，就足以让身体重新感受到流动。

There is a saying:

“The key to the year lies in Spring, as the key to the day lies in the morning.”

This is not a call for urgency.

It is a reminder that the quality of a beginning shapes what follows.

人们常说：一年之际在于春，一天之际在于晨。

这句话并不是在催促行动，

而是在提醒：

起始阶段的状态，

会影响接下来的节奏。

Lichun is like the morning of the year.

If this moment is calm and attentive,the season ahead is more likely to unfold with ease.

Within the seasonal reflections of IAK Culture Association Switzerland,

the solar terms are not meant to be explained away, but to be lived with.

立春就像一年中的清晨。

如果这一刻是从容而清醒的，后面的时间，也更容易走得稳。

在 IAK 瑞士亚洲文化协会 的节气记录中，

我们更愿意把节气当作一种可以被生活实践的参考。

On the day of Lichun, no ritual is required.

Noticing the change in light, caring for the body’s rhythm,and gently aligning daily life with the season—this is how Spring truly begins.

立春这一天，不需要仪式，也不需要结论。

看见光的变化，照顾好身体的节奏，

把生活轻轻调到更合适的位置——这，就是立春正在发生的方式。