3.14 Gregorian and Chinese Calendars

Calendars reflect how societies understand time and nature. The Gregorian calendar, used internationally today, is a solar calendar based on the earth’s orbit around the sun. The Chinese calendar is lunisolar and blends the accuracy of solar tracking with lunar months that synchronize with natural cycles. A third major type is the Islamic lunar calendar which follows the moon alone, causing months and holidays to shift yearly against the seasons.