Chinese Calendar

Upcoming Chinese New Year Dates

How the Chinese Calendar Works

The Chinese Zodiac Calendar is based on 12 animal signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep (Ram), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. All 12 signs appear in the same order every time, repeating in a cycle of 12 years. Every Chinese year, not every Western (English) year, belongs to one animal. For example, 2000 was the year of the Dragon.

The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, which means it is based on both the phases of the moon and the position of the sun. This is different from the Gregorian (Western) calendar, which is based only on the sun. Each Chinese lunar month begins with a new moon, and, like the Western calendar, an ordinary year normally has 12 months.

Because the Chinese calendar follows the moon, Chinese New Year does not fall on a fixed date. It usually falls somewhere between late January and mid-February, and the exact date changes every year. This matters when working out someone's zodiac sign. A person born in January or early February may have been born before that year's Chinese New Year. If so, they actually belong to the animal sign of the previous Chinese year, not the Western calendar year they were born in.

The Five Elements and the 60-Year Cycle

The Chinese Calendar also uses five elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth. When the 12 animal signs are combined with the 5 elements, they form a larger 60-year cycle. A person's Chinese zodiac sign and element are both determined by the Chinese calendar year in which they were born.

Years ending in an even number are Yang; years ending in an odd number are Yin. (Counted by Chinese year, which starts at Chinese New Year.)

The 12 Animals and Their Years

Remember: if you were born in January or early February, check the calendar table, as you may belong to the previous year’s animal.

Chinese Calendar 1924–2044

The Western (English) date ranges mapped to Chinese years in the 60-year cycle. Each Chinese year starts on Chinese New Year and ends the day before the next one.

Why the Chinese Calendar Matters

All calculations in Chinese astrology are based on the Chinese calendar, not any other calendar. When a person is born, their Chinese age is determined using the Chinese calendar. Yearly predictions are also based on this calendar, with each year starting on Chinese New Year, which usually falls in late January or early February on the Western calendar. This Chinese astrology calendar is used specifically by Chinese astrologers for their predictions, alongside the everyday calendars people use for civil purposes.

Chinese New Year is the most important holiday for more than a quarter of the world's population. The Gregorian calendar is used for everyday civil purposes, while the Chinese calendar is used to decide the dates of festivals. Chinese communities around the world continue to follow this calendar.

Leap Months and Principal Terms

The Chinese calendar is based on precise astronomical observations of the sun's position and the phases of the moon. There are some similarities between the Chinese calendar and the Hebrew calendar. An ordinary year has 12 months, while a leap year has 13 months. An ordinary year has 353, 354, or 355 days, while a leap year has 383, 384, or 385 days.

To decide whether a year is a leap year, astronomers calculate the number of new moons between two successive years. If there are thirteen new moons, it is a leap year. Normally, in a leap year, one month does not contain a "principal term." A principal term is used to decide the number given to each month: