Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1985
乙丑年 Year of the Wood Ox
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1985.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1985 is the Year of the Ox (Wood Ox, 乙丑). Chinese New Year falls on 20 February 1985 and the lunar year ends on 8 February 1986, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 29 September 1985.
Chinese festivals in 1985
Western dates for 1985. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan28Mon
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb19Tue
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.
- Feb20Wed
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.
- Mar6Wed
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 · 2nd month, day 16 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun22Sat
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug22Thu
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug30Fri
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept29Sun
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct22Tue
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 11 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1985
Lunar year 1985 runs from 20 February 1985 to 8 February 1986: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Wed 20 February 1985 | 29 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Thu 21 March 1985 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Sat 20 April 1985 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Mon 20 May 1985 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Tue 18 June 1985 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Thu 18 July 1985 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Fri 16 August 1985 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Sun 15 September 1985 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Mon 14 October 1985 | 29 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Tue 12 November 1985 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Thu 12 December 1985 | 29 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Fri 10 January 1986 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1985
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 1985
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 1985
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1985
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1985
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 1985
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1985
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1985
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1985
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 1985
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1985
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1985
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 1985
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1985
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1985
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 1985
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1985
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1985
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1985
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 1985
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 1985
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 1985
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 1985
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1985
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1985
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1985?
20 February 1985 (a Wednesday). It starts the Year of the Ox; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 19 February 1985.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1985?
The Ox (牛, niú), a Wood Ox year (乙丑). People born from 20 February 1985 to 8 February 1986 are an Ox; those born earlier in 1985 belong to the Year of the Rat.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1985?
29 September 1985, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1985?
22 June 1985, 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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