Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 2002
壬午年 Year of the Water Horse
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 2002.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 2002 is the Year of the Horse (Water Horse, 壬午). Chinese New Year falls on 12 February 2002 and the lunar year ends on 31 January 2003, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 21 September 2002.
Chinese festivals in 2002
Western dates for 2002. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan20Sun
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb11Mon
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.
- Feb12Tue
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.
- Feb26Tue
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Fri
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 2nd month, day 23 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun15Sat
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug15Thu
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug23Fri
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept21Sat
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct14Mon
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Sun
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 19 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 2002
Lunar year 2002 runs from 12 February 2002 to 31 January 2003: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Tue 12 February 2002 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Thu 14 March 2002 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Sat 13 April 2002 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Sun 12 May 2002 | 30 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Tue 11 June 2002 | 29 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Wed 10 July 2002 | 30 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Fri 9 August 2002 | 29 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Sat 7 September 2002 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Sun 6 October 2002 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Tue 5 November 2002 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Wed 4 December 2002 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Fri 3 January 2003 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 2002
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 2002
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 2002
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 2002
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 2002
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 2002
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 2002
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 2002
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 2002
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 2002
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 2002
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 2002
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 2002
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 2002
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 2002
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 2002
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 2002
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 2002
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 2002
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 2002
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 2002
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 2002
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 2002
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 2002
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 2002
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 2002?
12 February 2002 (a Tuesday). It starts the Year of the Horse; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 11 February 2002.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2002?
The Horse (马, mǎ), a Water Horse year (壬午). People born from 12 February 2002 to 31 January 2003 are a Horse; those born earlier in 2002 belong to the Year of the Snake.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2002?
21 September 2002, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2002?
15 June 2002, 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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