Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 2038
戊午年 Year of the Earth Horse
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 2038.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 2038 is the Year of the Horse (Earth Horse, 戊午). Chinese New Year falls on 4 February 2038 and the lunar year ends on 23 January 2039, with no leap month, so 354 days. Mid-Autumn is on 13 September 2038.
Chinese festivals in 2038
Western dates for 2038. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan12Tue
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb3Wed
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.
- Feb4Thu
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.
- Feb18Thu
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr5Mon
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 3rd month, day 1 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun7Mon
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug7Sat
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug15Sun
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept13Mon
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct7Thu
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec22Wed
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 27 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 2038
Lunar year 2038 runs from 4 February 2038 to 23 January 2039: 12 months, 354 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Thu 4 February 2038 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Sat 6 March 2038 | 30 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Mon 5 April 2038 | 29 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Tue 4 May 2038 | 30 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Thu 3 June 2038 | 29 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Fri 2 July 2038 | 30 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Sun 1 August 2038 | 29 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Mon 30 August 2038 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Wed 29 September 2038 | 29 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Thu 28 October 2038 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Fri 26 November 2038 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Sun 26 December 2038 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 2038
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 2038
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 2038
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 2038
- 雨水Rain Water18 Feb 2038
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 2038
- 春分Spring Equinox20 Mar 2038
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)5 Apr 2038
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 2038
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 2038
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 2038
- 芒种Grain in Ear5 Jun 2038
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 2038
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 2038
- 大暑Major Heat23 Jul 2038
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 2038
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 2038
- 白露White Dew7 Sept 2038
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 2038
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 2038
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 2038
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 2038
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 2038
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 2038
- 冬至Winter Solstice22 Dec 2038
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 2038?
4 February 2038 (a Thursday). It starts the Year of the Horse; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 3 February 2038.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2038?
The Horse (马, mǎ), a Earth Horse year (戊午). People born from 4 February 2038 to 23 January 2039 are a Horse; those born earlier in 2038 belong to the Year of the Snake.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2038?
13 September 2038, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2038?
7 June 2038, 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
Newsletter · Free · Every Thursday
The China Brief
What China is talking about, in plain English. Every Thursday.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click.