Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1986
丙寅年 Year of the Fire Tiger
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1986.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1986 is the Year of the Tiger (Fire Tiger, 丙寅). Chinese New Year falls on 9 February 1986 and the lunar year ends on 28 January 1987, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 18 September 1986.
Chinese festivals in 1986
Western dates for 1986. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan17Fri
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb8Sat
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.
- Feb9Sun
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.
- Feb23Sun
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Sat
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 2nd month, day 27 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun11Wed
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug12Tue
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug20Wed
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept18Thu
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct12Sun
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Mon
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 21 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1986
Lunar year 1986 runs from 9 February 1986 to 28 January 1987: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Sun 9 February 1986 | 29 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Mon 10 March 1986 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Wed 9 April 1986 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Fri 9 May 1986 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Sat 7 June 1986 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Mon 7 July 1986 | 30 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Wed 6 August 1986 | 29 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Thu 4 September 1986 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Sat 4 October 1986 | 29 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Sun 2 November 1986 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Tue 2 December 1986 | 29 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Wed 31 December 1986 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1986
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 1986
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 1986
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1986
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1986
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 1986
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1986
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1986
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1986
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 1986
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1986
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1986
- 夏至Summer Solstice22 Jun 1986
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1986
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1986
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 1986
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1986
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1986
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1986
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 1986
- 霜降Frost's Descent24 Oct 1986
- 立冬Start of Winter8 Nov 1986
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 1986
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1986
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1986
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1986?
9 February 1986 (a Sunday). It starts the Year of the Tiger; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 8 February 1986.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1986?
The Tiger (虎, hǔ), a Fire Tiger year (丙寅). People born from 9 February 1986 to 28 January 1987 are a Tiger; those born earlier in 1986 belong to the Year of the Ox.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1986?
18 September 1986, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1986?
11 June 1986, 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.