Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 2021
辛丑年 Year of the Metal Ox
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 2021.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 2021 is the Year of the Ox (Metal Ox, 辛丑). Chinese New Year falls on 12 February 2021 and the lunar year ends on 31 January 2022, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 21 September 2021.
Chinese festivals in 2021
Western dates for 2021. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan20Wed
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb11Thu
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.
- Feb12Fri
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.
- Feb26Fri
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr4Sun
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 2nd month, day 23 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun14Mon
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug14Sat
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug22Sun
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept21Tue
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct14Thu
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec21Tue
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 18 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 2021
Lunar year 2021 runs from 12 February 2021 to 31 January 2022: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Fri 12 February 2021 | 29 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Sat 13 March 2021 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Mon 12 April 2021 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Wed 12 May 2021 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Thu 10 June 2021 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Sat 10 July 2021 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Sun 8 August 2021 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Tue 7 September 2021 | 29 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Wed 6 October 2021 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Fri 5 November 2021 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Sat 4 December 2021 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Mon 3 January 2022 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 2021
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 2021
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 2021
- 立春Start of Spring3 Feb 2021
- 雨水Rain Water18 Feb 2021
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 2021
- 春分Spring Equinox20 Mar 2021
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)4 Apr 2021
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 2021
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 2021
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 2021
- 芒种Grain in Ear5 Jun 2021
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 2021
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 2021
- 大暑Major Heat22 Jul 2021
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 2021
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 2021
- 白露White Dew7 Sept 2021
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 2021
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 2021
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 2021
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 2021
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 2021
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 2021
- 冬至Winter Solstice21 Dec 2021
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 2021?
12 February 2021 (a Friday). It starts the Year of the Ox; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 11 February 2021.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2021?
The Ox (牛, niú), a Metal Ox year (辛丑). People born from 12 February 2021 to 31 January 2022 are an Ox; those born earlier in 2021 belong to the Year of the Rat.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2021?
21 September 2021, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2021?
14 June 2021, 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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