A lunar calendar follows the moon’s phases. A solar calendar – such as the Gregorian calendar used in the West – follows the movements of the sun. The Chinese lunar calendar actually incorporates solar and lunar motion. This makes it – technically – a “lunisolar” calendar.

Following the sun gives a more accurate prediction for when seasonal changes will occur. Farmers were especially needy of accurate changes of the seasons. They needed to know when to plant their crops early in the year and when to harvest them in the fall. The Chinese calendar contains 24 equally portioned sections throughout the lunar calendar that makes the entire calendar more balanced with the seasons.

Using the lunar year gives us nine main festivals amongst the twelve months of the Chinese calendar. Each Gregorian calendar year – the calendar we use in the West – will have a different day on which the main Chinese festivals fall.  Some of our festivals are close to the Chinese festivals.  Others are exclusive to China.

The Chinese New Year is found in the first month on the first day. This makes sense! But their New Year was February 14, 2010 on our calendar. The “lantern festival” is celebrated in the first month on the 15th day. In 2010, it occurred February 28.

A few phases of the moon later, the “Clear and Bright” festival – or Qingming – is observed. April 5, 2010 was this year’s Qingming. The Dragon Boat festival – the Chinese love their Dragons – occurs just prior to our summer solstice. It falls in the 5th month on the 5th day. This year it was June 16.

The Chinese day for lovers – similar to our Valentine’s Day – falls on the seventh day of the seventh month. This is August 16 in 2010. A tribute to the deceased – the ghost or spirit festival – is the fifteenth day of the seventh month or August 24 this year.

At the time our fall usually appears, the Chinese have a family gathering and moon cake eating festival. This is in the eighth month and fifteenth day. This moon festival will appear on September 22 2010.

Two more festivals are found during our fall. On October 16, 2010, The Chinese will celebrate the ninth day of their ninth month – the Double Ninth Festival, or Double Yang. A prayer to the Water God on October 16 2010 – will also occur during the Xia Yuan Festival. The Xia Yuan can appear in late November or early December in other years.

The Chinese Winter Solstice Festival lands very near our winter solstice – the time that the sun is its farthest south of our equator. This is December 22 of 2010 for both the West and the Chinese. The last festival of the Chinese Lunar Calendar is on the twenty-third day of the twelfth month. This is the Kitchen God festival and occurred at the beginning of the Gregorian calendar on February 7, 2010.

Learn How To