Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1948
戊子年 Year of the Earth Rat
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1948.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1948 is the Year of the Rat (Earth Rat, 戊子). Chinese New Year falls on 10 February 1948 and the lunar year ends on 28 January 1949, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 17 September 1948.
Chinese festivals in 1948
Western dates for 1948. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan18Sun
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb9Mon
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.
- Feb10Tue
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.
- Feb24Tue
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Mon
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 2nd month, day 26 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun11Fri
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug11Wed
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug19Thu
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept17Fri
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct11Mon
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Wed
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 22 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1948
Lunar year 1948 runs from 10 February 1948 to 28 January 1949: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Tue 10 February 1948 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Thu 11 March 1948 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Fri 9 April 1948 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Sun 9 May 1948 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Mon 7 June 1948 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Wed 7 July 1948 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Thu 5 August 1948 | 29 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Fri 3 September 1948 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Sun 3 October 1948 | 29 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Mon 1 November 1948 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Wed 1 December 1948 | 29 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Thu 30 December 1948 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1948
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 1948
- 大寒Major Cold21 Jan 1948
- 立春Start of Spring5 Feb 1948
- 雨水Rain Water20 Feb 1948
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 1948
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1948
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1948
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1948
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 1948
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1948
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1948
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 1948
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1948
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1948
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 1948
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1948
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1948
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1948
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 1948
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 1948
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 1948
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 1948
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1948
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1948
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1948?
10 February 1948 (a Tuesday). It starts the Year of the Rat; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 9 February 1948.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1948?
The Rat (鼠, shǔ), a Earth Rat year (戊子). People born from 10 February 1948 to 28 January 1949 are a Rat; those born earlier in 1948 belong to the Year of the Pig.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1948?
17 September 1948, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1948?
11 June 1948, 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
Newsletter · Free · Every Thursday
The China Brief
What China is talking about, in plain English. Every Thursday.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click.