Lunar Calendar and Traditions

What is the Lunar Calendar?

The Chinese Lunar Calendar is a traditional lunisolar calendar. Months follow lunar phases (synodic month ~29.5 days), with leap months added to synchronize with the solar year.

Leap Month Rules

The calendar uses a "19-year, 7-leap" rule: 7 leap months are inserted over 19 years to keep the average year length close to the solar year.

Major Traditional Festivals

• Spring Festival — Lunar New Year (Jan/Feb)
• Lantern Festival — 15th of first lunar month
• Qingming — April 4-6 (solar)
• Dragon Boat Festival — 5th of 5th month (June)
• Mid-Autumn Festival — 15th of 8th month (Sep/Oct)
• Double Ninth Festival — 9th of 9th month (Oct)

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches

The calendar uses a 60-year cycle combining Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, 2025 is the Year of the Snake.

FAQ

What are Chinese New Year traditions?

Spring couplets, firecrackers, reunion dinner, red envelopes, and dragon dances.