Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 2008
戊子年 Year of the Earth Rat
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 2008.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 2008 is the Year of the Rat (Earth Rat, 戊子). Chinese New Year falls on 7 February 2008 and the lunar year ends on 25 January 2009, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 14 September 2008.
Chinese festivals in 2008
Western dates for 2008. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan15Tue
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb6Wed
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.
- Feb7Thu
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.
- Feb21Thu
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr4Fri
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.
- Jun8Sun
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug7Thu
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug15Fri
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept14Sun
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct7Tue
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec21Sun
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 24 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 2008
Lunar year 2008 runs from 7 February 2008 to 25 January 2009: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Thu 7 February 2008 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Sat 8 March 2008 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Sun 6 April 2008 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Mon 5 May 2008 | 30 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Wed 4 June 2008 | 29 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Thu 3 July 2008 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Fri 1 August 2008 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Sun 31 August 2008 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Mon 29 September 2008 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Wed 29 October 2008 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Fri 28 November 2008 | 29 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Sat 27 December 2008 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2008
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 2008
- 大寒Major Cold21 Jan 2008
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 2008
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 2008
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 2008
- 春分Spring Equinox20 Mar 2008
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)4 Apr 2008
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 2008
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 2008
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 2008
- 芒种Grain in Ear5 Jun 2008
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 2008
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 2008
- 大暑Major Heat22 Jul 2008
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 2008
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 2008
- 白露White Dew7 Sept 2008
- 秋分Autumn Equinox22 Sept 2008
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 2008
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 2008
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 2008
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 2008
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 2008
- 冬至Winter Solstice21 Dec 2008
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 2008?
7 February 2008 (a Thursday). It starts the Year of the Rat; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 6 February 2008.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2008?
The Rat (鼠, shǔ), a Earth Rat year (戊子). People born from 7 February 2008 to 25 January 2009 are a Rat; those born earlier in 2008 belong to the Year of the Pig.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2008?
14 September 2008, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2008?
8 June 2008, 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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