Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 2013
癸巳年 Year of the Water Snake
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 2013.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 2013 is the Year of the Snake (Water Snake, 癸巳). Chinese New Year falls on 10 February 2013 and the lunar year ends on 30 January 2014, with no leap month, so 355 days. Mid-Autumn is on 19 September 2013.
Chinese festivals in 2013
Western dates for 2013. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan19Sat
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb9Sat
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.
- Feb10Sun
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.
- Feb24Sun
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr4Thu
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 2nd month, day 24 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun12Wed
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug13Tue
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug21Wed
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept19Thu
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct13Sun
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Sun
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 20 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 2013
Lunar year 2013 runs from 10 February 2013 to 30 January 2014: 12 months, 355 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Sun 10 February 2013 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Tue 12 March 2013 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Wed 10 April 2013 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Fri 10 May 2013 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Sat 8 June 2013 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Mon 8 July 2013 | 30 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Wed 7 August 2013 | 29 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Thu 5 September 2013 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Sat 5 October 2013 | 29 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Sun 3 November 2013 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Tue 3 December 2013 | 29 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Wed 1 January 2014 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2013
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 2013
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 2013
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 2013
- 雨水Rain Water18 Feb 2013
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 2013
- 春分Spring Equinox20 Mar 2013
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)4 Apr 2013
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 2013
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 2013
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 2013
- 芒种Grain in Ear5 Jun 2013
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 2013
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 2013
- 大暑Major Heat22 Jul 2013
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 2013
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 2013
- 白露White Dew7 Sept 2013
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 2013
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 2013
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 2013
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 2013
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 2013
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 2013
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 2013
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 2013?
10 February 2013 (a Sunday). It starts the Year of the Snake; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 9 February 2013.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2013?
The Snake (蛇, shé), a Water Snake year (癸巳). People born from 10 February 2013 to 30 January 2014 are a Snake; those born earlier in 2013 belong to the Year of the Dragon.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2013?
19 September 2013, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2013?
12 June 2013, 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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