Lunar Calendar
Check moon phases and dates.
Lunar Calendar · Blog
Articles about Lunar Calendar
Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, Chinese-zodiac years — for an English-reading audience.
For English readers, lunar-calendar topics usually surface around Lunar New Year (Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, all on the same date), the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Year of the [Animal] zodiac sequence. Lunar months drift roughly 11 days against the solar calendar, which is why the dates shift each year. The guides explain conversion, leap-month handling, and the cultural context behind the festivals.
What this category covers
- Lunar New Year — why the date shifts each year
- Year of the [Animal] — 60-year cycle, not 12
- Mid-Autumn Festival — full moon of the 8th lunar month
- Leap month — when February 29 isn't enough
Primary sources
- Hong Kong Observatory — lunar conversion tables
- Smithsonian Folklife Festival — lunar calendar context
- Wikipedia — Chinese calendar and festivals
Want to use the tool directly? Head to Lunar Calendar. The articles below are sorted newest first.
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Lunar Birthday Reminders — Google Calendar, iPhone, Outlook Setup (2026)
Lunar birthdays drift 11 days earlier each year on the Gregorian calendar, and standard 'every year' recurring events can't track them. Four working setups for 2026.
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Leap Months in the Lunar Calendar — 2026 None, 2028 Leap Fifth
How the Metonic cycle inserts seven leap months into every nineteen years of the East Asian lunisolar calendar, why 2026 is a regular twelve-month year, and when the next leap month arrives.
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Lunar Holidays 2026 — Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn, and More
2026 Lunar New Year falls on Feb 17, Mid-Autumn Festival on Sep 25, and Korean Chuseok on the same date. A one-page guide to East Asian lunar holidays in Gregorian dates.
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The 24 Solar Terms — How East Asia Reads the Year in 24 Pieces (2026)
The 24 solar terms divide the ecliptic into 15-degree segments. Here's how they work, why 'spring begins' on February 4 even when it's freezing, and the 2026 dates.
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The Sexagenary Cycle — How Ten Stems and Twelve Branches Make 60 Years
Why the Chinese-East Asian calendar runs on a 60-year cycle, what each pairing means, and why 2026 — the Year of the Fire Horse — only comes around once every six decades.