By ZHEN HUANG
Los Alamos 

Today, April 20, 2021, is UN Chinese Language Day.

Language is about thinking. What do you think about on this Chinese Language Day?

Probably, you would think about who invented paper when you jot down your thoughts during a busy working day.

Probably, you would think about where tea originated from when you go for a cup of tea during refreshment time.

Probably, you would think about why China, the country, shares the same name as the chinaware on the table when your family gets together for dinner.

On this day, I think about the lunisolar calendar GuYu谷雨.

China invented the traditional lunisolar calendar that divides a year into 24 solar terms. GuYu, is the 6th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 30° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 45°. In particular, the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 30° marks the GuYu Day.

On this day, I think about the Cangjie legend of GuYu 谷雨.

The Chinese Language Day also celebrates Cangjie, who invented Chinese characters about 5,000 years ago. Legend says that when Cangjie finished his invention, the gods were deeply moved and rained grain upon the earth to save the starving people who suffered from years of crop failure.

On this day, I think about the singing bird Cuckoo 布谷鸟.

In China, Cuckoos begin their singing at a time when farmers start their spring seeding. Farmers seed their hopes for harvest. Cuckoo is a bird who seeds hopes. BuGu布谷，literally, means seeding grains. It’s very interesting to note that the pronunciation of “Cuckoo” in English and that of “布谷BuGu” in Chinese are similar more than different.

Chinese Language Day has been established at the United Nations seeking to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity, and to promote equal use of different languages.

On this day, let’s see each other as equal and embrace our differences with love.