Chinese calendar 2026
The Chinese year 2026 is 丙午, the Year of the Fire Horse. It begins on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 and ends on Friday, February 5, 2027: 12 lunar months and 354 days, with no leap month.
2026 at a glance
| Chinese New Year | Tuesday, February 17, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Last day of the year | Friday, February 5, 2027 |
| Length | 12 months, 354 days |
| Leap month | None |
| Zodiac | Fire Horse (Yang Fire) |
| Start of Spring (立春) | Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 04:02 Beijing time — when the year turns in a Four Pillars chart |
Month-by-month calendars
Each page has the lunar date of every day, the festivals, the solar terms and the day pillars. The small print is the lunar date on the 1st.
Lunar months of 2026
| Lunar month | First day (new moon) | Last day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Tuesday, February 17, 2026 | March 18, 2026 | 30 |
| 2nd month | Thursday, March 19, 2026 | April 16, 2026 | 29 |
| 3rd month | Friday, April 17, 2026 | May 16, 2026 | 30 |
| 4th month | Sunday, May 17, 2026 | June 14, 2026 | 29 |
| 5th month | Monday, June 15, 2026 | July 13, 2026 | 29 |
| 6th month | Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | August 12, 2026 | 30 |
| 7th month | Thursday, August 13, 2026 | September 10, 2026 | 29 |
| 8th month | Friday, September 11, 2026 | October 9, 2026 | 29 |
| 9th month | Saturday, October 10, 2026 | November 8, 2026 | 30 |
| 10th month | Monday, November 9, 2026 | December 8, 2026 | 30 |
| 11th month | Wednesday, December 9, 2026 | January 7, 2027 | 30 |
| 12th month | Friday, January 8, 2027 | February 5, 2027 | 29 |
A lunar month runs from one new moon to the next and has 29 or 30 days. The dates are for Beijing time, which is what the Chinese calendar is counted in.
Festivals in 2026
| Festival | Lunar date | 2026–27 date | In Korea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Festival 春節 | 1st day of the 1st month | Tuesday, February 17, 2026 | same day Seollal (설날) |
| Lantern Festival 元宵節 | 15th day of the 1st month | Tuesday, March 3, 2026 | same day Daeboreum (정월대보름) |
| Longtaitou 龍抬頭 | 2nd day of the 2nd month | Friday, March 20, 2026 | same day |
| Qingming Festival 清明節 | solar term Clear and Bright | Sunday, April 5, 2026 | same day |
| Buddha’s Birthday 佛誕 | 8th day of the 4th month | Sunday, May 24, 2026 | same day Bucheonim Osin Nal (부처님오신날) |
| Dragon Boat Festival 端午節 | 5th day of the 5th month | Friday, June 19, 2026 | same day Dano (단오) |
| Qixi Festival 七夕 | 7th day of the 7th month | Wednesday, August 19, 2026 | same day Chilseok (칠석) |
| Ghost Festival 中元節 | 15th day of the 7th month | Thursday, August 27, 2026 | same day Baekjung (백중) |
| Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋節 | 15th day of the 8th month | Friday, September 25, 2026 | same day Chuseok (추석) |
| Double Ninth Festival 重陽節 | 9th day of the 9th month | Sunday, October 18, 2026 | Oct 19 |
| Dongzhi Festival 冬至 | solar term Winter Solstice | Tuesday, December 22, 2026 | same day |
| Laba Festival 臘八節 | 8th day of the 12th month | Friday, January 15, 2027 | same day |
| Little New Year 小年 | 23rd day of the 12th month | Saturday, January 30, 2027 | same day |
| New Year’s Eve 除夕 | last day of the 12th month (29th) | Friday, February 5, 2027 | Feb 6 |
Spring Festival, Qingming, Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn are public holidays in mainland China; the days off around them are set each year by the State Council. The last column shows where Korea’s calendar puts the same lunar date.
The 24 solar terms in 2026
| Solar term | Date | Beijing time |
|---|---|---|
| Minor Cold 小寒 Xiaohan | Monday, January 5, 2026 | 16:23 |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | 09:45 |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Wednesday, February 4, 2026 | 04:02 |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Wednesday, February 18, 2026 | 23:52 |
| Awakening of Insects 驚蟄 Jingzhe | Thursday, March 5, 2026 | 21:59 |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Friday, March 20, 2026 | 22:46 |
| Clear and Bright 清明 Qingming | Sunday, April 5, 2026 | 02:40 |
| Grain Rain 穀雨 Guyu | Monday, April 20, 2026 | 09:39 |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | Tuesday, May 5, 2026 | 19:49 |
| Grain Buds 小滿 Xiaoman | Thursday, May 21, 2026 | 08:37 |
| Grain in Ear 芒種 Mangzhong | Friday, June 5, 2026 | 23:48 |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Sunday, June 21, 2026 | 16:25 |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Tuesday, July 7, 2026 | 09:57 |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Thursday, July 23, 2026 | 03:13 |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Friday, August 7, 2026 | 19:43 |
| End of Heat 處暑 Chushu | Sunday, August 23, 2026 | 10:19 |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Monday, September 7, 2026 | 22:41 |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Wednesday, September 23, 2026 | 08:05 |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 14:29 |
| Frost Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Friday, October 23, 2026 | 17:38 |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Saturday, November 7, 2026 | 17:52 |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Sunday, November 22, 2026 | 15:23 |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Monday, December 7, 2026 | 10:53 |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Tuesday, December 22, 2026 | 04:50 |
Solar terms mark the Sun’s position, fifteen degrees apart, and keep the lunar calendar tied to the seasons. They also set the months of a Four Pillars chart. The same terms in Korea time, with what each one means
Chinese and Korean calendars in 2026
The two calendars follow the same rules in different time zones, Beijing (UTC+8) and Seoul (UTC+9), so a new moon in the last hour before midnight in Beijing starts the month a day later in Korea. In 2026 that happens once:
- The 9th lunar month: October 10, 2026 in China, October 11, 2026 in Korea.
Every festival in those months is a day apart too. Why Seollal and Chinese New Year differ · Lunar birthdays on the Korean calendar
Counting an age or expecting a baby?
Lunar age goes up on February 17, 2026, not on your birthday: lunar age calculator. The traditional boy-or-girl chart is read with lunar age and the lunar months above: Chinese gender calendar 2027. For the year ahead by sign, see the 2027 Chinese horoscope.
FAQ
When is Chinese New Year 2026?
Tuesday, February 17, 2026. It opens the Year of the Fire Horse, which lasts until February 5, 2027.
Is there a leap month in 2026?
No. The Chinese year 2026 has twelve months and 354 days. The next leap month is a leap 5th month in 2028.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2026?
Friday, September 25, 2026, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Korea’s Chuseok is the same day.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2026?
Friday, June 19, 2026, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.
Why do some websites show a date one day off?
Usually a time zone. The Chinese calendar is counted in Beijing time, Korea’s in Seoul time and Vietnam’s in Hanoi time, and a new moon close to midnight lands on different dates. A few converters also use simplified tables rather than the astronomical rules.
What is today’s date on the Chinese calendar?
The Chinese calendar converter shows today’s lunar date and converts any date from 1930 to 2050 in both directions.
Chinese calendar · Chinese gender calendar · Lunar age calculator · Korean age calculator · Lunar birthday calculator · Chinese zodiac calculator · Lunar New Year dates
