Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 2018
戊戌年 Year of the Earth Dog
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 2018.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 2018 is the Year of the Dog (Earth Dog, 戊戌). Chinese New Year falls on 16 February 2018 and the lunar year ends on 4 February 2019, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 24 September 2018.
Chinese festivals in 2018
Western dates for 2018. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan24Wed
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb15Thu
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.
- Feb16Fri
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.
- Mar2Fri
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Thu
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 2nd month, day 20 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun18Mon
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug17Fri
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug25Sat
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept24Mon
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct17Wed
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Sat
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 16 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 2018
Lunar year 2018 runs from 16 February 2018 to 4 February 2019: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Fri 16 February 2018 | 29 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Sat 17 March 2018 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Mon 16 April 2018 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Tue 15 May 2018 | 30 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Thu 14 June 2018 | 29 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Fri 13 July 2018 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Sat 11 August 2018 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Mon 10 September 2018 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Tue 9 October 2018 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Thu 8 November 2018 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Fri 7 December 2018 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Sun 6 January 2019 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2018
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 2018
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 2018
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 2018
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 2018
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 2018
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 2018
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 2018
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 2018
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 2018
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 2018
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 2018
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 2018
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 2018
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 2018
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 2018
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 2018
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 2018
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 2018
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 2018
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 2018
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 2018
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 2018
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 2018
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 2018
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 2018?
16 February 2018 (a Friday). It starts the Year of the Dog; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 15 February 2018.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2018?
The Dog (狗, gǒu), a Earth Dog year (戊戌). People born from 16 February 2018 to 4 February 2019 are a Dog; those born earlier in 2018 belong to the Year of the Rooster.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2018?
24 September 2018, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2018?
18 June 2018, 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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