Chinese Almanac Calendar

开厕

In the traditional Chinese Almanac (Lao Huangli), "Building a Toilet" (开厕 - Kai Ce) refers to the act of selecting an auspicious day to build, remodel, or repair a toilet. In ancient China, people believed that everything had its proper time, and choosing an appropriate time to carry out specific activities could bring good luck and avoid disasters. Therefore, before carrying out important activities such as building a house, moving, or opening a business, people would often consult the Almanac to select an auspicious day.

"Building a Toilet" in the Almanac

In the Almanac, "Building a Toilet" is usually listed as a daily affair activity, alongside activities such as "Installing a Bed" (An Chuang), "Construction and Renovation" (Xiu Zao), and "Breaking Ground" (Dong Tu). All these activities require selecting an appropriate date to seek good fortune. For "Building a Toilet," the Almanac will comprehensively consider factors such as the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches (Tian Gan Di Zhi), the Twenty-Eight Mansions (Er Shi Ba Xiu), and the Twelve Deities and Demons (Shi Er Shen Sha) to indicate which days are suitable for such activities.

The Significance of "Building a Toilet"

In traditional Chinese culture, the toilet is not only a place to address physiological needs but also an important place closely related to family hygiene and health. The ancients believed that the location, direction, and construction time of a toilet would affect the Feng Shui of the residence, which in turn would affect the occupants' fortune and health. Therefore, choosing an auspicious day and time to "Build a Toilet" aims to bring auspiciousness and well-being to the family by following natural laws and changes in cosmic energy.

How to Select an Auspicious Day for "Building a Toilet"

Selecting an auspicious day for "Building a Toilet" requires considering the following aspects:

• Avoiding Days that Clash with Family Members' Zodiac Signs: In traditional Chinese concepts, everyone's Chinese Zodiac sign has corresponding auspiciousness and taboos. When selecting an auspicious day to "Build a Toilet," one should avoid days that clash with the Chinese Zodiac signs of main family members (such as the head of the household).
• Paying Attention to Position and Direction: Different positions and directions correspond to different Five Elements (Wu Xing) attributes. According to Feng Shui principles, choosing an appropriate direction to build or remodel a toilet can better harmonize the energy field of the home environment.
• Referencing the Suitability and Taboos in the Almanac: Besides the above factors, one also needs to combine the specific items marked on the Almanac for that date, such as whether the day is suitable for "Breaking Ground" or "Construction and Renovation," and whether there are other deities and demons unfavorable for "Building a Toilet."

"Building a Toilet" from a Modern Perspective

Although modern society no longer strictly follows the Almanac as in the past, many people still refer to traditional customs to some extent when arranging major and minor events in their lives. From the perspective of modern science, "Building a Toilet" involves environmental sanitation and personal health issues more. For example, a reasonable toilet layout can effectively