Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1997
丁丑年 Year of the Fire Ox
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1997.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1997 is the Year of the Ox (Fire Ox, 丁丑). Chinese New Year falls on 7 February 1997 and the lunar year ends on 27 January 1998, with no leap month, so 355 days. Mid-Autumn is on 16 September 1997.
Chinese festivals in 1997
Western dates for 1997. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan16Thu
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb6Thu
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.
- Feb7Fri
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.
- Feb21Fri
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 28 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun9Mon
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug9Sat
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug17Sun
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept16Tue
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct10Fri
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 23 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1997
Lunar year 1997 runs from 7 February 1997 to 27 January 1998: 12 months, 355 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Fri 7 February 1997 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Sun 9 March 1997 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Mon 7 April 1997 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Wed 7 May 1997 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Thu 5 June 1997 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Sat 5 July 1997 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Sun 3 August 1997 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Tue 2 September 1997 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Thu 2 October 1997 | 29 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Fri 31 October 1997 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Sun 30 November 1997 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Tue 30 December 1997 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1997
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 1997
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 1997
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1997
- 雨水Rain Water18 Feb 1997
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 1997
- 春分Spring Equinox20 Mar 1997
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1997
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1997
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 1997
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1997
- 芒种Grain in Ear5 Jun 1997
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 1997
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1997
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1997
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 1997
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1997
- 白露White Dew7 Sept 1997
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1997
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 1997
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 1997
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 1997
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 1997
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1997
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1997
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1997?
7 February 1997 (a Friday). It starts the Year of the Ox; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 6 February 1997.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1997?
The Ox (牛, niú), a Fire Ox year (丁丑). People born from 7 February 1997 to 27 January 1998 are an Ox; those born earlier in 1997 belong to the Year of the Rat.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1997?
16 September 1997, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1997?
9 June 1997, 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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