Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1999
己卯年 Year of the Earth Rabbit
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1999.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1999 is the Year of the Rabbit (Earth Rabbit, 己卯). Chinese New Year falls on 16 February 1999 and the lunar year ends on 4 February 2000, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 24 September 1999.
Chinese festivals in 1999
Western dates for 1999. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan24Sun
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb15Mon
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.
- Feb16Tue
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.
- Mar2Tue
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Mon
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 2nd month, day 19 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun18Fri
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug17Tue
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug25Wed
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept24Fri
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct17Sun
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Wed
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 15 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1999
Lunar year 1999 runs from 16 February 1999 to 4 February 2000: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Tue 16 February 1999 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Thu 18 March 1999 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Fri 16 April 1999 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Sat 15 May 1999 | 30 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Mon 14 June 1999 | 29 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Tue 13 July 1999 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Wed 11 August 1999 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Fri 10 September 1999 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Sat 9 October 1999 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Mon 8 November 1999 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Wed 8 December 1999 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Fri 7 January 2000 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1999
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 1999
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 1999
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1999
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1999
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 1999
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 1999
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 1999
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1999
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 1999
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1999
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 1999
- 夏至Summer Solstice22 Jun 1999
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1999
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 1999
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 1999
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1999
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 1999
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1999
- 寒露Cold Dew9 Oct 1999
- 霜降Frost's Descent24 Oct 1999
- 立冬Start of Winter8 Nov 1999
- 小雪Minor Snow23 Nov 1999
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1999
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 1999
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1999?
16 February 1999 (a Tuesday). It starts the Year of the Rabbit; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 15 February 1999.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1999?
The Rabbit (兔, tù), a Earth Rabbit year (己卯). People born from 16 February 1999 to 4 February 2000 are a Rabbit; those born earlier in 1999 belong to the Year of the Tiger.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1999?
24 September 1999, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1999?
18 June 1999, 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.