Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 2009
己丑年 Year of the Earth Ox
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 2009.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 2009 is the Year of the Ox (Earth Ox, 己丑). Chinese New Year falls on 26 January 2009 and the lunar year ends on 13 February 2010, with a leap 5th month, so 384 days. Mid-Autumn is on 3 October 2009.
Chinese festivals in 2009
Western dates for 2009. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan3Sat
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Jan25Sun
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.
- Jan26Mon
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.
- Feb9Mon
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr4Sat
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 3rd month, day 9 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- May28Thu
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug26Wed
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Sept3Thu
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Oct3Sat
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct26Mon
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Tue
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 7 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 2009
Lunar year 2009 runs from 26 January 2009 to 13 February 2010: 13 months, including a leap 5th month, 384 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Mon 26 January 2009 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Wed 25 February 2009 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Fri 27 March 2009 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Sat 25 April 2009 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Sun 24 May 2009 | 30 |
| Leap 5th month | 闰五月 | Tue 23 June 2009 | 29 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Wed 22 July 2009 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Thu 20 August 2009 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Sat 19 September 2009 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Sun 18 October 2009 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Tue 17 November 2009 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Wed 16 December 2009 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Fri 15 January 2010 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2009
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 2009
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 2009
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 2009
- 雨水Rain Water18 Feb 2009
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 2009
- 春分Spring Equinox20 Mar 2009
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)4 Apr 2009
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 2009
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 2009
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 2009
- 芒种Grain in Ear5 Jun 2009
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 2009
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 2009
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 2009
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 2009
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 2009
- 白露White Dew7 Sept 2009
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 2009
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 2009
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 2009
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 2009
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 2009
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 2009
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 2009
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 2009?
26 January 2009 (a Monday). It starts the Year of the Ox; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 25 January 2009.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2009?
The Ox (牛, niú), a Earth Ox year (己丑). People born from 26 January 2009 to 13 February 2010 are an Ox; those born earlier in 2009 belong to the Year of the Rat.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2009?
3 October 2009, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2009?
28 May 2009, 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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