Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 2020
庚子年 Year of the Metal Rat
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 2020.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 2020 is the Year of the Rat (Metal Rat, 庚子). Chinese New Year falls on 25 January 2020 and the lunar year ends on 11 February 2021, with a leap 4th month, so 384 days. Mid-Autumn is on 1 October 2020.
Chinese festivals in 2020
Western dates for 2020. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan2Thu
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Jan24Fri
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.
- Jan25Sat
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.
- Feb8Sat
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 12 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun25Thu
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug25Tue
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Sept2Wed
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Oct1Thu
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct25Sun
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec21Mon
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 2020
Lunar year 2020 runs from 25 January 2020 to 11 February 2021: 13 months, including a leap 4th month, 384 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Sat 25 January 2020 | 29 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Sun 23 February 2020 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Tue 24 March 2020 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Thu 23 April 2020 | 30 |
| Leap 4th month | 闰四月 | Sat 23 May 2020 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Sun 21 June 2020 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Tue 21 July 2020 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Wed 19 August 2020 | 29 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Thu 17 September 2020 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Sat 17 October 2020 | 29 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Sun 15 November 2020 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Tue 15 December 2020 | 29 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Wed 13 January 2021 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2020
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 2020
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 2020
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 2020
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 2020
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 2020
- 春分Spring Equinox20 Mar 2020
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)4 Apr 2020
- 谷雨Grain Rain19 Apr 2020
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 2020
- 小满Grain Buds20 May 2020
- 芒种Grain in Ear5 Jun 2020
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 2020
- 小暑Minor Heat6 Jul 2020
- 大暑Major Heat22 Jul 2020
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 2020
- 处暑End of Heat22 Aug 2020
- 白露White Dew7 Sept 2020
- 秋分Autumn Equinox22 Sept 2020
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 2020
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 2020
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 2020
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 2020
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 2020
- 冬至Winter Solstice21 Dec 2020
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 2020?
25 January 2020 (a Saturday). It starts the Year of the Rat; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 24 January 2020.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2020?
The Rat (鼠, shǔ), a Metal Rat year (庚子). People born from 25 January 2020 to 11 February 2021 are a Rat; those born earlier in 2020 belong to the Year of the Pig.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2020?
1 October 2020, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2020?
25 June 2020, 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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