Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 2023
癸卯年 Year of the Water Rabbit
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 2023.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit (Water Rabbit, 癸卯). Chinese New Year falls on 22 January 2023 and the lunar year ends on 9 February 2024, with a leap 2nd month, so 384 days. Mid-Autumn is on 29 September 2023.
Chinese festivals in 2023
Western dates for 2023. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan21Sat
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.
- Jan22Sun
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.
- Feb5Sun
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Wed
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · Leap 2nd month, day 15 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun22Thu
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug22Tue
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug30Wed
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept29Fri
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct23Mon
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Fri
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 10 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 2023
Lunar year 2023 runs from 22 January 2023 to 9 February 2024: 13 months, including a leap 2nd month, 384 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Sun 22 January 2023 | 29 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Mon 20 February 2023 | 30 |
| Leap 2nd month | 闰二月 | Wed 22 March 2023 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Thu 20 April 2023 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Fri 19 May 2023 | 30 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Sun 18 June 2023 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Tue 18 July 2023 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Wed 16 August 2023 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Fri 15 September 2023 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Sun 15 October 2023 | 29 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Mon 13 November 2023 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Wed 13 December 2023 | 29 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Thu 11 January 2024 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2023
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 2023
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 2023
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 2023
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 2023
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects6 Mar 2023
- 春分Spring Equinox21 Mar 2023
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 2023
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 2023
- 立夏Start of Summer6 May 2023
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 2023
- 芒种Grain in Ear6 Jun 2023
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 2023
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 2023
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 2023
- 立秋Start of Autumn8 Aug 2023
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 2023
- 白露White Dew8 Sept 2023
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 2023
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 2023
- 霜降Frost's Descent24 Oct 2023
- 立冬Start of Winter8 Nov 2023
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 2023
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 2023
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 2023
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 2023?
22 January 2023 (a Sunday). It starts the Year of the Rabbit; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 21 January 2023.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2023?
The Rabbit (兔, tù), a Water Rabbit year (癸卯). People born from 22 January 2023 to 9 February 2024 are a Rabbit; those born earlier in 2023 belong to the Year of the Tiger.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2023?
29 September 2023, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2023?
22 June 2023, 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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