The 72 seasons of Japan 七十二候
The old Japanese calendar splits the year into 24 seasonal points (二十四節気), and each of those into three micro-seasons of about five days. Every micro-season is named for something small happening in nature — the east wind melting the ice, the first frost, bears going to sleep. The names are short classical phrases, which makes them good, memorable kanji practice.
立春 · Beginning of spring
East wind melts the iceはるかぜこおりをとく · from about Feb 4
WorksheetBush warblers start singing in the mountainsうぐいすなく · from about Feb 9
WorksheetFish emerge from the iceうおこおりをいずる · from about Feb 14
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雨水 · Rainwater
Rain moistens the soilつちのしょううるおいおこる · from about Feb 19
WorksheetMist starts to lingerかすみはじめてたなびく · from about Feb 24
WorksheetGrass sprouts, trees budそうもくめばえいずる · from about Mar 1
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啓蟄 · Insects awaken
Hibernating insects surfaceすごもりむしとをひらく · from about Mar 6
WorksheetFirst peach blossomsももはじめてさく · from about Mar 11
WorksheetCaterpillars become butterfliesなむしちょうとなる · from about Mar 16
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春分 · Spring equinox
Sparrows start to nestすずめはじめてすくう · from about Mar 21
WorksheetFirst cherry blossomsさくらはじめてひらく · from about Mar 26
WorksheetDistant thunderかみなりすなわちこえをはっす · from about Mar 31
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清明 · Pure and clear
Swallows returnつばめきたる · from about Apr 5
WorksheetWild geese fly northこうがんかえる · from about Apr 10
WorksheetFirst rainbowsにじはじめてあらわる · from about Apr 15
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穀雨 · Grain rain
First reeds sproutあしはじめてしょうず · from about Apr 20
WorksheetLast frost, rice seedlings growしもやんでなえいずる · from about Apr 25
WorksheetPeonies bloomぼたんはなさく · from about Apr 30
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立夏 · Beginning of summer
Frogs start singingかわずはじめてなく · from about May 5
WorksheetWorms surfaceみみずいずる · from about May 10
WorksheetBamboo shoots sproutたけのこしょうず · from about May 15
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小満 · Lesser ripening
Silkworms start feasting on mulberry leavesかいこおきてくわをはむ · from about May 21
WorksheetSafflowers bloomべにばなさかう · from about May 26
WorksheetWheat ripens and is harvestedむぎのときいたる · from about May 31
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芒種 · Grain in ear
Praying mantises hatchかまきりしょうず · from about Jun 5
WorksheetRotten grass becomes firefliesくされたるくさほたるとなる · from about Jun 10
WorksheetPlums turn yellowうめのみきばむ · from about Jun 15
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夏至 · Summer solstice
Self-heal withersなつかれくさかるる · from about Jun 21
WorksheetIrises bloomあやめはなさく · from about Jun 26
WorksheetCrow-dipper sproutsはんげしょうず · from about Jul 1
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小暑 · Lesser heat
Warm winds blowあつかぜいたる · from about Jul 7
WorksheetFirst lotus blossomsはすはじめてひらく · from about Jul 12
WorksheetYoung hawks learn to flyたかすなわちわざをならう · from about Jul 17
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大暑 · Greater heat
Paulownia trees set seedきりはじめてはなをむすぶ · from about Jul 22
WorksheetEarth is damp, air is humidつちうるおうてむしあつし · from about Jul 28
WorksheetGreat rains sometimes fallたいうときどきふる · from about Aug 2
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立秋 · Beginning of autumn
Cool winds blowすずかぜいたる · from about Aug 7
WorksheetEvening cicadas singひぐらしなく · from about Aug 12
WorksheetThick fog descendsふかききりまとう · from about Aug 17
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処暑 · End of heat
Cotton bolls openわたのはなしべひらく · from about Aug 23
WorksheetHeat starts to die downてんちはじめてさむし · from about Aug 28
WorksheetRice ripensこくものすなわちみのる · from about Sep 2
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白露 · White dew
Dew glistens white on grassくさのつゆしろし · from about Sep 7
WorksheetWagtails singせきれいなく · from about Sep 12
WorksheetSwallows leaveつばめさる · from about Sep 17
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秋分 · Autumn equinox
Thunder ceasesかみなりすなわちこえをおさむ · from about Sep 23
WorksheetInsects seal their burrowsむしかくれてとをふさぐ · from about Sep 28
WorksheetFarmers drain the fieldsみずはじめてかるる · from about Oct 3
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寒露 · Cold dew
Wild geese returnこうがんきたる · from about Oct 8
WorksheetChrysanthemums bloomきくのはなひらく · from about Oct 13
WorksheetCrickets chirp at the doorきりぎりすとにあり · from about Oct 18
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霜降 · Frost descends
First frostしもはじめてふる · from about Oct 23
WorksheetLight rains sometimes fallこさめときどきふる · from about Oct 28
WorksheetMaple leaves and ivy turn yellowもみじつたきばむ · from about Nov 2
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立冬 · Beginning of winter
Camellias start to bloomつばきはじめてひらく · from about Nov 7
WorksheetLand starts to freezeちはじめてこおる · from about Nov 12
WorksheetDaffodils bloomきんせんかさく · from about Nov 17
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小雪 · Lesser snow
Rainbows hideにじかくれてみえず · from about Nov 22
WorksheetNorth wind blows the leaves from the treesきたかぜこのはをはらう · from about Nov 27
WorksheetTachibana citrus turns yellowたちばなはじめてきばむ · from about Dec 2
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大雪 · Greater snow
Cold sets in, winter beginsそらさむくふゆとなる · from about Dec 7
WorksheetBears start hibernatingくまあなにこもる · from about Dec 12
WorksheetSalmon gather and swim upstreamさけのうおむらがる · from about Dec 16
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冬至 · Winter solstice
Self-heal sproutsなつかれくさしょうず · from about Dec 21
WorksheetDeer shed their antlersさわしかのつのおつる · from about Dec 26
WorksheetWheat sprouts under the snowゆきわたりてむぎのびる · from about Dec 31
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小寒 · Lesser cold
Water dropwort flourishesせりすなわちさかう · from about Jan 5
WorksheetSprings thawしみずあたたかをふくむ · from about Jan 10
WorksheetPheasants start to callきじはじめてなく · from about Jan 15
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大寒 · Greater cold
Butterburs budふきのはなさく · from about Jan 20
WorksheetIce thickens on streamsさわみずこおりつめる · from about Jan 25
WorksheetHens start laying eggsにわとりはじめてとやにつく · from about Jan 30
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Dates are a guide: each season starts on about the same day every year, give or take one. A few rare characters (睍, 睆, 鱖, 雊) have no stroke-order data yet and are left out of the worksheets.