Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1972
壬子年 Year of the Water Rat
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1972.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1972 is the Year of the Rat (Water Rat, 壬子). Chinese New Year falls on 15 February 1972 and the lunar year ends on 2 February 1973, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 22 September 1972.
Chinese festivals in 1972
Western dates for 1972. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan23Sun
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb14Mon
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.
- Feb15Tue
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.
- Feb29Tue
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 22 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun15Thu
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug15Tue
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug23Wed
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept22Fri
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct15Sun
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 17 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1972
Lunar year 1972 runs from 15 February 1972 to 2 February 1973: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Tue 15 February 1972 | 29 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Wed 15 March 1972 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Fri 14 April 1972 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Sat 13 May 1972 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Sun 11 June 1972 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Tue 11 July 1972 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Wed 9 August 1972 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Fri 8 September 1972 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Sat 7 October 1972 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Mon 6 November 1972 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Wed 6 December 1972 | 29 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Thu 4 January 1973 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1972
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 1972
- 大寒Major Cold21 Jan 1972
- 立春Start of Spring5 Feb 1972
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1972
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 1972
- 春分Spring Equinox20 Mar 1972
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1972
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1972
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 1972
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1972
- 芒种Grain in Ear5 Jun 1972
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 1972
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1972
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1972
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 1972
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1972
- 白露White Dew7 Sept 1972
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1972
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 1972
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 1972
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 1972
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 1972
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1972
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1972
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1972?
15 February 1972 (a Tuesday). It starts the Year of the Rat; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 14 February 1972.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1972?
The Rat (鼠, shǔ), a Water Rat year (壬子). People born from 15 February 1972 to 2 February 1973 are a Rat; those born earlier in 1972 belong to the Year of the Pig.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1972?
22 September 1972, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1972?
15 June 1972, 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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