Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1959
己亥年 Year of the Earth Pig
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1959.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1959 is the Year of the Pig (Earth Pig, 己亥). Chinese New Year falls on 8 February 1959 and the lunar year ends on 27 January 1960, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 17 September 1959.
Chinese festivals in 1959
Western dates for 1959. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan16Fri
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb7Sat
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.
- Feb8Sun
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.
- Feb22Sun
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 28 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun10Wed
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug10Mon
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug18Tue
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept17Thu
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct10Sat
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 23 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1959
Lunar year 1959 runs from 8 February 1959 to 27 January 1960: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Sun 8 February 1959 | 29 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Mon 9 March 1959 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Wed 8 April 1959 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Fri 8 May 1959 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Sat 6 June 1959 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Mon 6 July 1959 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Tue 4 August 1959 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Thu 3 September 1959 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Fri 2 October 1959 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Sun 1 November 1959 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Mon 30 November 1959 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Wed 30 December 1959 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1959
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 1959
- 大寒Major Cold21 Jan 1959
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1959
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1959
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 1959
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1959
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1959
- 谷雨Grain Rain21 Apr 1959
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 1959
- 小满Grain Buds22 May 1959
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1959
- 夏至Summer Solstice22 Jun 1959
- 小暑Minor Heat8 Jul 1959
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1959
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 1959
- 处暑End of Heat24 Aug 1959
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1959
- 秋分Autumn Equinox24 Sept 1959
- 寒露Cold Dew9 Oct 1959
- 霜降Frost's Descent24 Oct 1959
- 立冬Start of Winter8 Nov 1959
- 小雪Minor Snow23 Nov 1959
- 大雪Major Snow8 Dec 1959
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1959
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1959?
8 February 1959 (a Sunday). It starts the Year of the Pig; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 7 February 1959.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1959?
The Pig (猪, zhū), a Earth Pig year (己亥). People born from 8 February 1959 to 27 January 1960 are a Pig; those born earlier in 1959 belong to the Year of the Dog.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1959?
17 September 1959, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1959?
10 June 1959, 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.