Happy 5th, 8th and 4th Lunar Month!

Today is a new moon. It also happens to be the fifth new moon after Tết, the Vietnamese New Year, which means today's moon marks the beginning of the fifth month in the Vietnamese lunar calendar. This calendar is one of many lunar calendar systems around the world. Southeast Asia alone has at least four different types, giving us a clue about the region's broad cultural diversity.

In the Chinese Calendar, this new moon begins the month of the guava blossom.

Historically, the Vietnamese calendar was based on the astronomical observations in Beijing that dictate the Chinese lunar calendar. Therefore, both calendars always began on the same day, which is the first new moon of spring. However, Vietnam changed time zones in the 1960's. Since then, the two calendars still begin on the same day, except for once every twenty-three years or so. The next time these two calendars won't be aligned is in 2030.

Both the Vietnamese and the Chinese calendars are based on seasonal change, in which the beginning of the year marks the decline of winter and the rise of spring. In contrast to the seasonal approach, some other lunar calendars of Southeast Asia are based on the position of the sun in relationship to the stars--or more precisely, on the twelve constellations that are recognized in the west.

Nations with large populations of Buddhists follow the Buddhist lunar calendar. This includes Sri Lanka, as well as Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Laos. These last three countries follow a special version of the calendar that originated in Thailand. The Thai lunar calendar usually begins in December. However, the first month of the Thai lunar calendar doesn't signify the beginning of the year. Actually, the Thais follow three calendars, including the international calendar and their own solar calendar, which must make a challenge of asking someone's birthday. The months of the Thai lunar calendar are in sync with the new moon, so it seems today's new moon is the beginning of the Thai calendar's eighth month.

Similar to the Buddhist calendar is the one used by the Hindus. At one point, all of Southeast Asia was once part of a great expansive Hindu civilization. Its lasting legacy is a religion that is still very common in the region. The Hindu New Years celebration in Singapore is called Ugadi. Last year, I got the chance to walk around Singapore's Little India during Ugadi. It was phenomenal. I have strong memories of brilliant lights, fragrant food, and wild music. Ugadi fell on April 4th of this year, which was the day after the new moon on April 3rd. Since Ugadi was three months ago, tomorrow marks the beginning of the fourth month.

Actually, the star-based calendars of the Buddhists and Hindus, and both the seasonal calendar of the Vietnamese and Chinese, are based on the time of the solar year, and therefore are not true lunar calendars. Technically, they're lunisolar. The only true lunar calendar is the Muslim calendar, which is also commonly used throughout Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia, where the majority of the population is Muslim. And unlike the other calendars, the first day of the lunar month begins upon the first sight of the waxing crescent moon. That will be July 2, and marks the beginning of the eighth month of the Muslim calendar.

So, happy new moon, happy 5th month in the Chinese and Vietnamese lunar calendars, happy 8th month in the Buddhist and Muslim calendars, happy 4th month in the Hindu lunar calendar, and happy July, too!