Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1990
庚午年 Year of the Metal Horse
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1990.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1990 is the Year of the Horse (Metal Horse, 庚午). Chinese New Year falls on 27 January 1990 and the lunar year ends on 14 February 1991, with a leap 5th month, so 384 days. Mid-Autumn is on 3 October 1990.
Chinese festivals in 1990
Western dates for 1990. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan4Thu
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Jan26Fri
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.
- Jan27Sat
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.
- Feb10Sat
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 10 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- May28Mon
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug26Sun
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Sept3Mon
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Oct3Wed
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct26Fri
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 6 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1990
Lunar year 1990 runs from 27 January 1990 to 14 February 1991: 13 months, including a leap 5th month, 384 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Sat 27 January 1990 | 29 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Sun 25 February 1990 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Tue 27 March 1990 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Wed 25 April 1990 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Thu 24 May 1990 | 30 |
| Leap 5th month | 闰五月 | Sat 23 June 1990 | 29 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Sun 22 July 1990 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Mon 20 August 1990 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Wed 19 September 1990 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Thu 18 October 1990 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Sat 17 November 1990 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Mon 17 December 1990 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Wed 16 January 1991 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1990
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 1990
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 1990
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1990
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1990
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 1990
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1990
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1990
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1990
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 1990
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1990
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1990
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 1990
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1990
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1990
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 1990
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1990
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1990
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1990
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 1990
- 霜降Frost's Descent24 Oct 1990
- 立冬Start of Winter8 Nov 1990
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 1990
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1990
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1990
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1990?
27 January 1990 (a Saturday). It starts the Year of the Horse; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 26 January 1990.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1990?
The Horse (马, mǎ), a Metal Horse year (庚午). People born from 27 January 1990 to 14 February 1991 are a Horse; those born earlier in 1990 belong to the Year of the Snake.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1990?
3 October 1990, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1990?
28 May 1990, 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.