Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 2012
壬辰年 Year of the Water Dragon
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 2012.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon (Water Dragon, 壬辰). Chinese New Year falls on 23 January 2012 and the lunar year ends on 9 February 2013, with a leap 4th month, so 384 days. Mid-Autumn is on 30 September 2012.
Chinese festivals in 2012
Western dates for 2012. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan1Sun
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Jan22Sun
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.
- Jan23Mon
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.
- Feb6Mon
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr4Wed
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 3rd month, day 14 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun23Sat
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug23Thu
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug31Fri
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept30Sun
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct23Tue
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec21Fri
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 9 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 2012
Lunar year 2012 runs from 23 January 2012 to 9 February 2013: 13 months, including a leap 4th month, 384 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Mon 23 January 2012 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Wed 22 February 2012 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Thu 22 March 2012 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Sat 21 April 2012 | 30 |
| Leap 4th month | 闰四月 | Mon 21 May 2012 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Tue 19 June 2012 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Thu 19 July 2012 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Fri 17 August 2012 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Sun 16 September 2012 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Mon 15 October 2012 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Wed 14 November 2012 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Thu 13 December 2012 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Sat 12 January 2013 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 2012
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 2012
- 大寒Major Cold21 Jan 2012
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 2012
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 2012
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 2012
- 春分Spring Equinox20 Mar 2012
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)4 Apr 2012
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 2012
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 2012
- 小满Grain Buds20 May 2012
- 芒种Grain in Ear5 Jun 2012
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 2012
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 2012
- 大暑Major Heat22 Jul 2012
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 2012
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 2012
- 白露White Dew7 Sept 2012
- 秋分Autumn Equinox22 Sept 2012
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 2012
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 2012
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 2012
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 2012
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 2012
- 冬至Winter Solstice21 Dec 2012
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 2012?
23 January 2012 (a Monday). It starts the Year of the Dragon; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 22 January 2012.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2012?
The Dragon (龙, lóng), a Water Dragon year (壬辰). People born from 23 January 2012 to 9 February 2013 are a Dragon; those born earlier in 2012 belong to the Year of the Rabbit.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2012?
30 September 2012, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2012?
23 June 2012, 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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