Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1961
辛丑年 Year of the Metal Ox
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1961.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1961 is the Year of the Ox (Metal Ox, 辛丑). Chinese New Year falls on 15 February 1961 and the lunar year ends on 4 February 1962, with no leap month, so 355 days. Mid-Autumn is on 24 September 1961.
Chinese festivals in 1961
Western dates for 1961. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan24Tue
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb14Tue
Chinese New Year’s Eve除夕
12th month, day 29 · 腊月廿九
Last day of the lunar year: reunion dinner and the CMG Spring Festival Gala.
- Feb15Wed
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.
- Mar1Wed
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Wed
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 2nd month, day 20 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun17Sat
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug17Thu
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug25Fri
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept24Sun
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct18Wed
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Fri
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 15 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1961
Lunar year 1961 runs from 15 February 1961 to 4 February 1962: 12 months, 355 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Wed 15 February 1961 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Fri 17 March 1961 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Sat 15 April 1961 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Mon 15 May 1961 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Tue 13 June 1961 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Thu 13 July 1961 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Fri 11 August 1961 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Sun 10 September 1961 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Tue 10 October 1961 | 29 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Wed 8 November 1961 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Fri 8 December 1961 | 29 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Sat 6 January 1962 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1961
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 1961
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 1961
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1961
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1961
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 1961
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1961
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1961
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1961
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 1961
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1961
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1961
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 1961
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1961
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1961
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 1961
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1961
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1961
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1961
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 1961
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 1961
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 1961
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 1961
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1961
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1961
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1961?
15 February 1961 (a Wednesday). It starts the Year of the Ox; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 14 February 1961.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1961?
The Ox (牛, niú), a Metal Ox year (辛丑). People born from 15 February 1961 to 4 February 1962 are an Ox; those born earlier in 1961 belong to the Year of the Rat.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1961?
24 September 1961, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1961?
17 June 1961, 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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