Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1940
庚辰年 Year of the Metal Dragon
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1940.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1940 is the Year of the Dragon (Metal Dragon, 庚辰). Chinese New Year falls on 8 February 1940 and the lunar year ends on 26 January 1941, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 16 September 1940.
Chinese festivals in 1940
Western dates for 1940. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan16Tue
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb7Wed
Chinese New Year’s Eve除夕
12th month, day 30 · 腊月三十
Last day of the lunar year: reunion dinner and the CMG Spring Festival Gala.
- Feb8Thu
Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)春节
1st month, day 1 · 正月初一
First day of the lunar year and the biggest family holiday of the year.
- Feb22Thu
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Fri
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 2nd month, day 28 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun10Mon
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug10Sat
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug18Sun
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept16Mon
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct9Wed
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Sun
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 24 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1940
Lunar year 1940 runs from 8 February 1940 to 26 January 1941: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Thu 8 February 1940 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Sat 9 March 1940 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Mon 8 April 1940 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Tue 7 May 1940 | 30 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Thu 6 June 1940 | 29 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Fri 5 July 1940 | 30 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Sun 4 August 1940 | 29 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Mon 2 September 1940 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Tue 1 October 1940 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Thu 31 October 1940 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Fri 29 November 1940 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Sun 29 December 1940 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1940
Solar terms (节气 jiéqì) mark the sun’s position, so their dates barely move from year to year. Dates are in Beijing time.
- 小寒Minor Cold6 Jan 1940
- 大寒Major Cold21 Jan 1940
- 立春Start of Spring5 Feb 1940
- 雨水Rain Water20 Feb 1940
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 1940
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1940
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1940
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1940
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 1940
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1940
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1940
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 1940
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1940
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1940
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 1940
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1940
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1940
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1940
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 1940
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 1940
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 1940
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 1940
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1940
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1940
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1940?
8 February 1940 (a Thursday). It starts the Year of the Dragon; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 7 February 1940.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1940?
The Dragon (龙, lóng), a Metal Dragon year (庚辰). People born from 8 February 1940 to 26 January 1941 are a Dragon; those born earlier in 1940 belong to the Year of the Rabbit.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1940?
16 September 1940, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1940?
10 June 1940, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.
Tools
Sources
- Hong Kong Observatory, Gregorian-Lunar calendar conversion table · accessed 28 Oct 2026
- Wikipedia, Chinese calendar · accessed 28 Oct 2026
Update log. 28 October 2026 — published. Dates computed in Beijing time and spot-checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables. Suggest a correction
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