Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1987
丁卯年 Year of the Fire Rabbit
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1987.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1987 is the Year of the Rabbit (Fire Rabbit, 丁卯). Chinese New Year falls on 29 January 1987 and the lunar year ends on 16 February 1988, with a leap 6th month, so 384 days. Mid-Autumn is on 7 October 1987.
Chinese festivals in 1987
Western dates for 1987. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan7Wed
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Jan28Wed
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.
- Jan29Thu
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.
- Feb12Thu
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 8 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- May31Sun
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug30Sun
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Sept7Mon
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Oct7Wed
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct31Sat
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 2 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1987
Lunar year 1987 runs from 29 January 1987 to 16 February 1988: 13 months, including a leap 6th month, 384 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Thu 29 January 1987 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Sat 28 February 1987 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Sun 29 March 1987 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Tue 28 April 1987 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Wed 27 May 1987 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Fri 26 June 1987 | 30 |
| Leap 6th month | 闰六月 | Sun 26 July 1987 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Mon 24 August 1987 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Wed 23 September 1987 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Fri 23 October 1987 | 29 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Sat 21 November 1987 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Mon 21 December 1987 | 29 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Tue 19 January 1988 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1987
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 1987
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 1987
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1987
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1987
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 1987
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1987
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1987
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1987
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 1987
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1987
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1987
- 夏至Summer Solstice22 Jun 1987
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1987
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1987
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 1987
- 处暑End of Heat24 Aug 1987
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1987
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1987
- 寒露Cold Dew9 Oct 1987
- 霜降Frost's Descent24 Oct 1987
- 立冬Start of Winter8 Nov 1987
- 小雪Minor Snow23 Nov 1987
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1987
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1987
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1987?
29 January 1987 (a Thursday). It starts the Year of the Rabbit; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 28 January 1987.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1987?
The Rabbit (兔, tù), a Fire Rabbit year (丁卯). People born from 29 January 1987 to 16 February 1988 are a Rabbit; those born earlier in 1987 belong to the Year of the Tiger.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1987?
7 October 1987, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1987?
31 May 1987, 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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