Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 2006
丙戌年 Year of the Fire Dog
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 2006.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 2006 is the Year of the Dog (Fire Dog, 丙戌). Chinese New Year falls on 29 January 2006 and the lunar year ends on 17 February 2007, with a leap 7th month, so 385 days. Mid-Autumn is on 6 October 2006.
Chinese festivals in 2006
Western dates for 2006. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan7Sat
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Jan28Sat
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.
- Jan29Sun
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.
- Feb12Sun
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Wed
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 3rd month, day 8 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- May31Wed
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Jul31Mon
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug8Tue
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Oct6Fri
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct30Mon
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Fri
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 3 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 2006
Lunar year 2006 runs from 29 January 2006 to 17 February 2007: 13 months, including a leap 7th month, 385 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Sun 29 January 2006 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Tue 28 February 2006 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Wed 29 March 2006 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Fri 28 April 2006 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Sat 27 May 2006 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Mon 26 June 2006 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Tue 25 July 2006 | 30 |
| Leap 7th month | 闰七月 | Thu 24 August 2006 | 29 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Fri 22 September 2006 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Sun 22 October 2006 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Tue 21 November 2006 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Wed 20 December 2006 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Fri 19 January 2007 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2006
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 2006
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 2006
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 2006
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 2006
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 2006
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 2006
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 2006
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 2006
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 2006
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 2006
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 2006
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 2006
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 2006
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 2006
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 2006
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 2006
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 2006
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 2006
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 2006
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 2006
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 2006
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 2006
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 2006
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 2006
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 2006?
29 January 2006 (a Sunday). It starts the Year of the Dog; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 28 January 2006.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2006?
The Dog (狗, gǒu), a Fire Dog year (丙戌). People born from 29 January 2006 to 17 February 2007 are a Dog; those born earlier in 2006 belong to the Year of the Rooster.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2006?
6 October 2006, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2006?
31 May 2006, 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.