Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1978
戊午年 Year of the Earth Horse
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1978.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1978 is the Year of the Horse (Earth Horse, 戊午). Chinese New Year falls on 7 February 1978 and the lunar year ends on 27 January 1979, with no leap month, so 355 days. Mid-Autumn is on 17 September 1978.
Chinese festivals in 1978
Western dates for 1978. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan16Mon
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb6Mon
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.
- Feb7Tue
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.
- Feb21Tue
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 28 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun10Sat
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug10Thu
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug18Fri
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept17Sun
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct10Tue
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 23 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1978
Lunar year 1978 runs from 7 February 1978 to 27 January 1979: 12 months, 355 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Tue 7 February 1978 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Thu 9 March 1978 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Fri 7 April 1978 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Sun 7 May 1978 | 30 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Tue 6 June 1978 | 29 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Wed 5 July 1978 | 30 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Fri 4 August 1978 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Sun 3 September 1978 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Mon 2 October 1978 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Wed 1 November 1978 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Thu 30 November 1978 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Sat 30 December 1978 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1978
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 1978
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 1978
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1978
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1978
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 1978
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1978
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1978
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1978
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 1978
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1978
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1978
- 夏至Summer Solstice22 Jun 1978
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1978
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1978
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 1978
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1978
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1978
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1978
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 1978
- 霜降Frost's Descent24 Oct 1978
- 立冬Start of Winter8 Nov 1978
- 小雪Minor Snow23 Nov 1978
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1978
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1978
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1978?
7 February 1978 (a Tuesday). It starts the Year of the Horse; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 6 February 1978.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1978?
The Horse (马, mǎ), a Earth Horse year (戊午). People born from 7 February 1978 to 27 January 1979 are a Horse; those born earlier in 1978 belong to the Year of the Snake.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1978?
17 September 1978, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1978?
10 June 1978, 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.