Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 2003
癸未年 Year of the Water Goat
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 2003.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 2003 is the Year of the Goat (Water Goat, 癸未). Chinese New Year falls on 1 February 2003 and the lunar year ends on 21 January 2004, with no leap month, so 355 days. Mid-Autumn is on 11 September 2003.
Chinese festivals in 2003
Western dates for 2003. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan10Fri
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Jan31Fri
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.
- Feb1Sat
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.
- Feb15Sat
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 · 3rd month, day 4 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun4Wed
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug4Mon
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug12Tue
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept11Thu
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct4Sat
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 29 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
- Dec30Tue
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
Lunar months of the year 2003
Lunar year 2003 runs from 1 February 2003 to 21 January 2004: 12 months, 355 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Sat 1 February 2003 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Mon 3 March 2003 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Wed 2 April 2003 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Thu 1 May 2003 | 30 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Sat 31 May 2003 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Mon 30 June 2003 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Tue 29 July 2003 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Thu 28 August 2003 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Fri 26 September 2003 | 29 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Sat 25 October 2003 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Mon 24 November 2003 | 29 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Tue 23 December 2003 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2003
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 2003
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 2003
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 2003
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 2003
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 2003
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 2003
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 2003
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 2003
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 2003
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 2003
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 2003
- 夏至Summer Solstice22 Jun 2003
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 2003
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 2003
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 2003
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 2003
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 2003
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 2003
- 寒露Cold Dew9 Oct 2003
- 霜降Frost's Descent24 Oct 2003
- 立冬Start of Winter8 Nov 2003
- 小雪Minor Snow23 Nov 2003
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 2003
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 2003
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 2003?
1 February 2003 (a Saturday). It starts the Year of the Goat; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 31 January 2003.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2003?
The Goat (羊, yáng), a Water Goat year (癸未). People born from 1 February 2003 to 21 January 2004 are a Goat; those born earlier in 2003 belong to the Year of the Horse.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2003?
11 September 2003, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2003?
4 June 2003, 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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