Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1956
丙申年 Year of the Fire Monkey
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1956.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1956 is the Year of the Monkey (Fire Monkey, 丙申). Chinese New Year falls on 12 February 1956 and the lunar year ends on 30 January 1957, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 19 September 1956.
Chinese festivals in 1956
Western dates for 1956. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan20Fri
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb11Sat
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.
- Feb12Sun
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.
- Feb26Sun
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Thu
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 2nd month, day 25 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun13Wed
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug12Sun
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug20Mon
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept19Wed
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct12Fri
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Sat
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 21 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1956
Lunar year 1956 runs from 12 February 1956 to 30 January 1957: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Sun 12 February 1956 | 29 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Mon 12 March 1956 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Wed 11 April 1956 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Thu 10 May 1956 | 30 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Sat 9 June 1956 | 29 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Sun 8 July 1956 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Mon 6 August 1956 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Wed 5 September 1956 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Thu 4 October 1956 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Sat 3 November 1956 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Sun 2 December 1956 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Tue 1 January 1957 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1956
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 1956
- 大寒Major Cold21 Jan 1956
- 立春Start of Spring5 Feb 1956
- 雨水Rain Water20 Feb 1956
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 1956
- 春分Spring Equinox20 Mar 1956
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1956
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1956
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 1956
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1956
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1956
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 1956
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1956
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1956
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 1956
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1956
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1956
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1956
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 1956
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 1956
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 1956
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 1956
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1956
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1956
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1956?
12 February 1956 (a Sunday). It starts the Year of the Monkey; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 11 February 1956.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1956?
The Monkey (猴, hóu), a Fire Monkey year (丙申). People born from 12 February 1956 to 30 January 1957 are a Monkey; those born earlier in 1956 belong to the Year of the Goat.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1956?
19 September 1956, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1956?
13 June 1956, 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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