Chinese Lunar Calendar 2026–2027
Lunar New Year, Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn dates, from Hong Kong Observatory tables, with zodiac year dates.
Updated · by ViralScopeHub Team
Zodiac years
| Starts | Year | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Year of the Fire Horse (Bing-wu) | Runs Feb 17, 2026 to Feb 5, 2027 | |
| Year of the Fire Goat / Sheep (Ding-wei) | Runs Feb 6, 2027 to Jan 25, 2028. “Yang” in Chinese covers goat, sheep and ram. |
The Chinese zodiac year changes at Lunar New Year, not on January 1. If you were born in January or early February, check the date first. For fun readings visit the astrology hub (entertainment only).
Chinese festival dates 2026 and 2027
2026
| Date | Festival | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Laba Festival | Eighth day of the 12th lunar month; laba porridge is eaten. Lunar 12/8 | |
| Chinese New Year's Eve | Family reunion dinner. | |
| Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) | First day of the lunar new year; the biggest holiday in China. Lunar 1/1 | |
| Lantern Festival | Fifteenth day of the first month; ends the New Year season. Lunar 1/15 | |
| Qingming Festival | Solar term “Bright and Clear” (around April 4–5); families sweep tombs. | |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Fifth day of the fifth month; dragon boat races and zongzi. Lunar 5/5 | |
| Qixi Festival | Seventh night of the seventh month; sometimes called Chinese Valentine’s Day. Lunar 7/7 | |
| Zhongyuan (Ghost) Festival | Fifteenth day of the seventh month; ancestors are remembered. Lunar 7/15 | |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Fifteenth day of the eighth month at the full moon; mooncakes and family gatherings. Lunar 8/15 | |
| Double Ninth (Chongyang) Festival | Ninth day of the ninth month; honours elders. Lunar 9/9 | |
| Winter Solstice (Dongzhi) | Solar term around December 21–22; dumplings or tangyuan are eaten. |
2027
| Date | Festival | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Laba Festival | Eighth day of the 12th lunar month; laba porridge is eaten. Lunar 12/8 | |
| Chinese New Year's Eve | Family reunion dinner. | |
| Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) | First day of the lunar new year; the biggest holiday in China. Lunar 1/1 | |
| Lantern Festival | Fifteenth day of the first month; ends the New Year season. Lunar 1/15 | |
| Qingming Festival | Solar term “Bright and Clear” (around April 4–5); families sweep tombs. | |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Fifth day of the fifth month; dragon boat races and zongzi. Lunar 5/5 | |
| Qixi Festival | Seventh night of the seventh month; sometimes called Chinese Valentine’s Day. | |
| Zhongyuan (Ghost) Festival | Fifteenth day of the seventh month; ancestors are remembered. Lunar 7/15 | |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Fifteenth day of the eighth month at the full moon; mooncakes and family gatherings. Lunar 8/15 | |
| Double Ninth (Chongyang) Festival | Ninth day of the ninth month; honours elders. | |
| Winter Solstice (Dongzhi) | Solar term around December 21–22; dumplings or tangyuan are eaten. |
Lunar month start dates
2026
| Date | Month | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Lunar month 12 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 1 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 2 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 3 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 4 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 5 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 6 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 7 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 8 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 9 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 10 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 11 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). |
2027
| Date | Month | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Lunar month 12 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 1 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 2 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 3 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 4 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 5 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 6 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 7 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 8 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 9 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 10 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 11 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). | |
| Lunar month 12 begins | First day of the month (new moon, China time). |
How the Chinese calendar works
The Chinese calendar is lunisolar. Each month begins on the day of the astronomical new moon (as seen in China Standard Time), so months are 29 or 30 days. To keep the calendar in line with the seasons, a leap month is added about every three years. Lunar New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, between January 21 and February 20.
Festival dates are fixed in the lunar calendar (for example, the Mid-Autumn Festival is always the 15th of the 8th lunar month), so they move around on the Gregorian calendar. Two festivals follow the Sun instead: Qingming (around April 4 or 5) and Dongzhi, the winter solstice (around December 21 or 22).
Because the date depends on the exact moment of the new moon and the time zone used, communities outside China sometimes mark a festival a day earlier or later than the tables here. We follow the Hong Kong Observatory.
Frequently asked questions
When is Chinese New Year 2026?
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, the start of the Year of the Horse (Fire Horse). New Year’s Eve is Monday, February 16.
When is Chinese New Year 2027?
Saturday, February 6, 2027 (Year of the Goat, also called the Sheep or Ram), with New Year’s Eve on Friday, February 5. Some calendar software shows February 7 because it handles the late-night new moon differently.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival?
It is on Friday, September 25, 2026 in 2026 and Wednesday, September 15, 2027 in 2027.
Why does the date change every year?
It follows the Moon, so it moves between January 21 and February 20 on the Gregorian calendar.
Is there a free API for the Chinese calendar?
We did not find an openly licensed one that is reliable at month boundaries, so we use the Hong Kong Observatory’s published tables.
Sources and attribution
- Hong Kong Observatory: Gregorian-Lunar conversion tables © Hong Kong Observatory