Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1979
己未年 Year of the Earth Goat
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1979.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1979 is the Year of the Goat (Earth Goat, 己未). Chinese New Year falls on 28 January 1979 and the lunar year ends on 15 February 1980, with a leap 6th month, so 384 days. Mid-Autumn is on 5 October 1979.
Chinese festivals in 1979
Western dates for 1979. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan6Sat
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Jan27Sat
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.
- Jan28Sun
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.
- Feb11Sun
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Thu
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 3rd month, day 9 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- May30Wed
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug29Wed
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Sept6Thu
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Oct5Fri
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct29Mon
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Sat
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 4 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1979
Lunar year 1979 runs from 28 January 1979 to 15 February 1980: 13 months, including a leap 6th month, 384 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Sun 28 January 1979 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Tue 27 February 1979 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Wed 28 March 1979 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Thu 26 April 1979 | 30 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Sat 26 May 1979 | 29 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Sun 24 June 1979 | 30 |
| Leap 6th month | 闰六月 | Tue 24 July 1979 | 30 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Thu 23 August 1979 | 29 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Fri 21 September 1979 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Sun 21 October 1979 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Tue 20 November 1979 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Wed 19 December 1979 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Fri 18 January 1980 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1979
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 1979
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 1979
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1979
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1979
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 1979
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1979
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1979
- 谷雨Grain Rain21 Apr 1979
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 1979
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1979
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1979
- 夏至Summer Solstice22 Jun 1979
- 小暑Minor Heat8 Jul 1979
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1979
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 1979
- 处暑End of Heat24 Aug 1979
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1979
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1979
- 寒露Cold Dew9 Oct 1979
- 霜降Frost's Descent24 Oct 1979
- 立冬Start of Winter8 Nov 1979
- 小雪Minor Snow23 Nov 1979
- 大雪Major Snow8 Dec 1979
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1979
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1979?
28 January 1979 (a Sunday). It starts the Year of the Goat; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 27 January 1979.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1979?
The Goat (羊, yáng), a Earth Goat year (己未). People born from 28 January 1979 to 15 February 1980 are a Goat; those born earlier in 1979 belong to the Year of the Horse.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1979?
5 October 1979, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1979?
30 May 1979, 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.