Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1963
癸卯年 Year of the Water Rabbit
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1963.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1963 is the Year of the Rabbit (Water Rabbit, 癸卯). Chinese New Year falls on 25 January 1963 and the lunar year ends on 12 February 1964, with a leap 4th month, so 384 days. Mid-Autumn is on 2 October 1963.
Chinese festivals in 1963
Western dates for 1963. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan3Thu
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Jan24Thu
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.
- Jan25Fri
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.
- Feb8Fri
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Fri
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 3rd month, day 12 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun25Tue
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug25Sun
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Sept2Mon
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Oct2Wed
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct25Fri
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Sun
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 7 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1963
Lunar year 1963 runs from 25 January 1963 to 12 February 1964: 13 months, including a leap 4th month, 384 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Fri 25 January 1963 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Sun 24 February 1963 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Mon 25 March 1963 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Wed 24 April 1963 | 29 |
| Leap 4th month | 闰四月 | Thu 23 May 1963 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Fri 21 June 1963 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Sun 21 July 1963 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Mon 19 August 1963 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Wed 18 September 1963 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Thu 17 October 1963 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Sat 16 November 1963 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Mon 16 December 1963 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Wed 15 January 1964 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1963
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 1963
- 大寒Major Cold21 Jan 1963
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1963
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1963
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 1963
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1963
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1963
- 谷雨Grain Rain21 Apr 1963
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 1963
- 小满Grain Buds22 May 1963
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1963
- 夏至Summer Solstice22 Jun 1963
- 小暑Minor Heat8 Jul 1963
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1963
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 1963
- 处暑End of Heat24 Aug 1963
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1963
- 秋分Autumn Equinox24 Sept 1963
- 寒露Cold Dew9 Oct 1963
- 霜降Frost's Descent24 Oct 1963
- 立冬Start of Winter8 Nov 1963
- 小雪Minor Snow23 Nov 1963
- 大雪Major Snow8 Dec 1963
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1963
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1963?
25 January 1963 (a Friday). It starts the Year of the Rabbit; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 24 January 1963.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1963?
The Rabbit (兔, tù), a Water Rabbit year (癸卯). People born from 25 January 1963 to 12 February 1964 are a Rabbit; those born earlier in 1963 belong to the Year of the Tiger.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1963?
2 October 1963, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1963?
25 June 1963, 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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