Xref: utzoo soc.culture.asean:4987 soc.culture.asian.american:5309 soc.culture.china:51164 soc.culture.hongkong:11484 soc.culture.taiwan:11933 soc.culture.thai:129 soc.religion.eastern:621
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean,soc.culture.asian.american,soc.culture.china,soc.culture.hongkong,soc.culture.taiwan,soc.culture.thai,soc.religion.eastern
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!ames!eos!data.nas.nasa.gov!news
From: scheff@msl475a.erim.org (Al Scheffler)
Subject: Re: Urgent Help needed regarding Chinese Calander
References: <1991May28.173148.13143@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: Tue, 28 May 91 22:48:48 GMT
Approved: prabhu@amelia.nas.nasa.gov
Organization: Environmental Research Institute of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Sender: news@nas.nasa.gov
Message-ID: <1991May28.224848.17698@nas.nasa.gov>
Lines: 41

To Ken Adler:

	I have checked with a computer algorithm that I have written and found
that April 26, 1992 in the Gregorian Calendar (the one in conventional
international use) corresponds only to the 3rd month 24th day in the Chinese 
Calendar computed by the current method.  Sorry!  The Chinese New Year in the
modern system begins on February 4, 1992.  The first day of the fourth Chinese
month does not therefore occur until May 3, 1992, the Sunday a week after
April 26.  

	Although I believe that you did not intend this, you actually referred
to the Julian Calendar (in widespread European use until October 4, 1582) which
is now practically obsolete.  In that case, the first day of the fourth 
Chinese month is equivalent to April 20, 1992 in the Julian Calendar system.
This, however, is only of trivial importance for planning most weddings in 
the 20th century.

	Beware of the Thai lunar calendar which is derived from a more ancient
method of the Chinese calendar.  This calendar uses the first new moon BEFORE 
the winter solstice as the beginning of the first month instead of the modern 
Chinese system which usually starts with the second (or rarely the third) new 
moon AFTER the winter solstice.  Many Thai festivals such as Roi Katong (the 
Lotus festival on the full moon which occurs around November) are based on the
Thai lunar calendar.  Roi Katong is the full moon of the 12th month in that 
system.

	Best wishes for your wedding plans.  I was married to my Thai wife in
Thailand four years ago and left all the plans about the date up to her 
family.  It turned out unexpectedly that we had to have the ceremony at 10 AM 
the morning after I arrived at Don Muang airport at 10:30 the previous night.
It was the only lucky time for the next three months.  I survived!  
It all worked out for the best. 

                                         Chok di!

                                         Al Scheffler