Li Chun marks the beginning of spring. It is also known as Lap Chun in Cantonese.

Li Chun is the first term of the 24 terms in the Chinese solar calendar. The 24 solar terms can be used quite accurately for farming activities.

The Chinese lunar year is shorter than the solar year by 10 days a year. As such, once every three years, there are 13 months in the Chinese lunar calendar.

Li Chun falls between February 3 and 4 every year and was an important day to the ancient Chinese farmers, who celebrated the beginning of Li Chun with ceremonies and worship for a prosperous year.

It was a belief that a clear day on Li Chun would bring good harvest throughout the year while a rainy day on Li Chun is a sign for farmers to take extra precaution on their crops for the year.

In many countries where Li Chun is celebrated, people perform egg balancing on Li Chun. They believe that they can balance an egg upright on a flat surface. This is probably because of the altered Earth’s gravitational field caused by the alignment of the sun and the moon on Li Chun.

In Malaysia and Singapore, the Chinese community believe that if they deposit money in the bank on Li Chun, their wealth will grow.