Chinese calendar, May 2026
May 2026 opens on the 15th day of the 3rd lunar month and closes on the 15th day of the 4th lunar month, in the Chinese year 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse. The 4th lunar month begins on May 17. Festivals this month: Buddha’s Birthday on May 24.
Small numbers are the lunar month and day. ● marks the first day of a lunar month, the day of the new moon in Beijing time. Tap a day for its day pillar.
Lunar months in May 2026
- The 3rd month of 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse: April 17, 2026 – May 16, 2026 (30 days)
- The 4th month of 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse: May 17, 2026 – June 14, 2026 (29 days)
Festivals
Buddha’s Birthday (佛誕) — Sunday, May 24, 2026. The 8th day of the 4th month. Temples hang lotus lanterns for the birth of the Buddha. It is a public holiday in South Korea, Hong Kong and Macau.
Solar terms
Start of Summer (立夏, Lixia) — Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 19:49 Beijing time. Summer begins in the calendar, weeks before it feels like it. In a saju chart the Snake month opens: the season of Fire.
Grain Buds (小滿, Xiaoman) — Thursday, May 21, 2026, 08:37 Beijing time. “Small fullness”: the grain fills but has not ripened. Barley turns golden and everything is still growing.
Four Pillars months in May 2026
A saju or BaZi chart does not follow the lunar months above. Its month changes at a solar term: until Start of Summer on May 5 the month pillar is 壬辰 (Ren Chen), and from that moment it is 癸巳 (Gui Si). Solar terms of 2026, with Korea times · Cast a chart
Every day of May 2026
| Date | Lunar date | Day pillar | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, May 1 | 3rd month, day 15 | 乙亥 Yi Hai Yin Wood Pig | |
| Sat, May 2 | 3rd month, day 16 | 丙子 Bing Zi Yang Fire Rat | |
| Sun, May 3 | 3rd month, day 17 | 丁丑 Ding Chou Yin Fire Ox | |
| Mon, May 4 | 3rd month, day 18 | 戊寅 Wu Yin Yang Earth Tiger | |
| Tue, May 5 | 3rd month, day 19 | 己卯 Ji Mao Yin Earth Rabbit | Start of Summer (立夏, Lixia) |
| Wed, May 6 | 3rd month, day 20 | 庚辰 Geng Chen Yang Metal Dragon | |
| Thu, May 7 | 3rd month, day 21 | 辛巳 Xin Si Yin Metal Snake | |
| Fri, May 8 | 3rd month, day 22 | 壬午 Ren Wu Yang Water Horse | |
| Sat, May 9 | 3rd month, day 23 | 癸未 Gui Wei Yin Water Goat | |
| Sun, May 10 | 3rd month, day 24 | 甲申 Jia Shen Yang Wood Monkey | |
| Mon, May 11 | 3rd month, day 25 | 乙酉 Yi You Yin Wood Rooster | |
| Tue, May 12 | 3rd month, day 26 | 丙戌 Bing Xu Yang Fire Dog | |
| Wed, May 13 | 3rd month, day 27 | 丁亥 Ding Hai Yin Fire Pig | |
| Thu, May 14 | 3rd month, day 28 | 戊子 Wu Zi Yang Earth Rat | |
| Fri, May 15 | 3rd month, day 29 | 己丑 Ji Chou Yin Earth Ox | |
| Sat, May 16 | 3rd month, day 30 | 庚寅 Geng Yin Yang Metal Tiger | |
| Sun, May 17 | 4th month, day 1 | 辛卯 Xin Mao Yin Metal Rabbit | 4th lunar month begins |
| Mon, May 18 | 4th month, day 2 | 壬辰 Ren Chen Yang Water Dragon | |
| Tue, May 19 | 4th month, day 3 | 癸巳 Gui Si Yin Water Snake | |
| Wed, May 20 | 4th month, day 4 | 甲午 Jia Wu Yang Wood Horse | |
| Thu, May 21 | 4th month, day 5 | 乙未 Yi Wei Yin Wood Goat | Grain Buds (小滿, Xiaoman) |
| Fri, May 22 | 4th month, day 6 | 丙申 Bing Shen Yang Fire Monkey | |
| Sat, May 23 | 4th month, day 7 | 丁酉 Ding You Yin Fire Rooster | |
| Sun, May 24 | 4th month, day 8 | 戊戌 Wu Xu Yang Earth Dog | Buddha’s Birthday (佛誕) |
| Mon, May 25 | 4th month, day 9 | 己亥 Ji Hai Yin Earth Pig | |
| Tue, May 26 | 4th month, day 10 | 庚子 Geng Zi Yang Metal Rat | |
| Wed, May 27 | 4th month, day 11 | 辛丑 Xin Chou Yin Metal Ox | |
| Thu, May 28 | 4th month, day 12 | 壬寅 Ren Yin Yang Water Tiger | |
| Fri, May 29 | 4th month, day 13 | 癸卯 Gui Mao Yin Water Rabbit | |
| Sat, May 30 | 4th month, day 14 | 甲辰 Jia Chen Yang Wood Dragon | |
| Sun, May 31 | 4th month, day 15 | 乙巳 Yi Si Yin Wood Snake |
FAQ
What is the lunar date on May 1, 2026?
Friday, May 1, 2026 is the 15th day of the 3rd lunar month of the Chinese year 2026 (Fire Horse). The day pillar is 乙亥 (Yi Hai).
When does a new lunar month start in May 2026?
The 4th lunar month starts on Sunday, May 17, 2026. A lunar month begins on the day of the new moon, counted in Beijing time.
When is the Buddha’s Birthday in 2026?
Sunday, May 24, 2026, the 8th day of the 4th month.
Which zodiac year is May 2026 in?
All of May 2026 falls in the Year of the Fire Horse, which runs from February 17, 2026 to February 5, 2027.
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