Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1953
癸巳年 Year of the Water Snake
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1953.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1953 is the Year of the Snake (Water Snake, 癸巳). Chinese New Year falls on 14 February 1953 and the lunar year ends on 2 February 1954, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 22 September 1953.
Chinese festivals in 1953
Western dates for 1953. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan22Thu
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb13Fri
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.
- Feb14Sat
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.
- Feb28Sat
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Sun
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 2nd month, day 22 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun15Mon
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug16Sun
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug24Mon
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept22Tue
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct16Fri
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Tue
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 17 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1953
Lunar year 1953 runs from 14 February 1953 to 2 February 1954: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Sat 14 February 1953 | 29 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Sun 15 March 1953 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Tue 14 April 1953 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Wed 13 May 1953 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Thu 11 June 1953 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Sat 11 July 1953 | 30 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Mon 10 August 1953 | 29 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Tue 8 September 1953 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Thu 8 October 1953 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Sat 7 November 1953 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Sun 6 December 1953 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Tue 5 January 1954 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1953
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 Cold5 Jan 1953
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 1953
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1953
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1953
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 1953
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1953
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1953
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1953
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 1953
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1953
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1953
- 夏至Summer Solstice22 Jun 1953
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1953
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1953
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 1953
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1953
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1953
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1953
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 1953
- 霜降Frost's Descent24 Oct 1953
- 立冬Start of Winter8 Nov 1953
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 1953
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1953
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1953
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1953?
14 February 1953 (a Saturday). It starts the Year of the Snake; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 13 February 1953.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1953?
The Snake (蛇, shé), a Water Snake year (癸巳). People born from 14 February 1953 to 2 February 1954 are a Snake; those born earlier in 1953 belong to the Year of the Dragon.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1953?
22 September 1953, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1953?
15 June 1953, 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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