Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1981
辛酉年 Year of the Metal Rooster
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1981.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1981 is the Year of the Rooster (Metal Rooster, 辛酉). Chinese New Year falls on 5 February 1981 and the lunar year ends on 24 January 1982, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 12 September 1981.
Chinese festivals in 1981
Western dates for 1981. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan13Tue
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb4Wed
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.
- Feb5Thu
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.
- Feb19Thu
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Sun
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 3rd month, day 1 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun6Sat
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug6Thu
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug14Fri
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept12Sat
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct6Tue
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Tue
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 27 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1981
Lunar year 1981 runs from 5 February 1981 to 24 January 1982: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Thu 5 February 1981 | 29 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Fri 6 March 1981 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Sun 5 April 1981 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Mon 4 May 1981 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Tue 2 June 1981 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Thu 2 July 1981 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Fri 31 July 1981 | 29 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Sat 29 August 1981 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Mon 28 September 1981 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Wed 28 October 1981 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Thu 26 November 1981 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Sat 26 December 1981 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1981
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 1981
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 1981
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1981
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1981
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 1981
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1981
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1981
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1981
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 1981
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1981
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1981
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 1981
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1981
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1981
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 1981
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1981
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1981
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1981
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 1981
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 1981
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 1981
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 1981
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1981
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1981
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1981?
5 February 1981 (a Thursday). It starts the Year of the Rooster; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 4 February 1981.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1981?
The Rooster (鸡, jī), a Metal Rooster year (辛酉). People born from 5 February 1981 to 24 January 1982 are a Rooster; those born earlier in 1981 belong to the Year of the Monkey.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1981?
12 September 1981, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1981?
6 June 1981, 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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