Lunar ⇄ Gregorian Date Converter
Lunar birthdays, traditional festivals and the dates in a Chinese almanac all need converting to and from the Gregorian calendar. Enter a date to convert it either way; leap months are supported.
Lunar ⇄ Gregorian converter
Pick a direction and enter a date. For lunar to Gregorian, tick "leap month" if the date is in a leap month; a lunar birthday also shows its Gregorian date for the next 10 years. Everything is calculated in your browser.
For lunar dates, month 1 is the first month and month 12 the last (the "La" month). Covers the years 1901 to 2099.
Key festival dates, 2025–2035
| Year | Lunar New Year's Eve | Lunar New Year | Lantern Festival | Dragon Boat Festival | Qixi Festival | Ghost Festival | Mid-Autumn Festival | Double Ninth Festival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (Snake) | 1/28 | 1/29 | 2/12 | 5/31 | 8/29 | 9/6 | 10/6 | 10/29 |
| 2026 (Horse) | 2/16 | 2/17 | 3/3 | 6/19 | 8/19 | 8/27 | 9/25 | 10/18 |
| 2027 (Goat) | 2/5 | 2/6 | 2/20 | 6/9 | 8/8 | 8/16 | 9/15 | 10/8 |
| 2028 (Monkey) | 1/25 | 1/26 | 2/9 | 5/28 | 8/26 | 9/3 | 10/3 | 10/26 |
| 2029 (Rooster) | 2/12 | 2/13 | 2/27 | 6/16 | 8/16 | 8/24 | 9/22 | 10/16 |
| 2030 (Dog) | 2/2 | 2/3 | 2/17 | 6/5 | 8/5 | 8/13 | 9/12 | 10/5 |
| 2031 (Pig) | 1/22 | 1/23 | 2/6 | 6/24 | 8/24 | 9/1 | 10/1 | 10/24 |
| 2032 (Rat) | 2/10 | 2/11 | 2/25 | 6/12 | 8/12 | 8/20 | 9/19 | 10/12 |
| 2033 (Ox) | 1/30 | 1/31 | 2/14 | 6/1 | 8/1 | 8/9 | 9/8 | 10/1 |
| 2034 (Tiger) | 2/18 | 2/19 | 3/5 | 6/20 | 8/20 | 8/28 | 9/27 | 10/20 |
| 2035 (Rabbit) | 2/7 | 2/8 | 2/22 | 6/10 | 8/10 | 8/18 | 9/16 | 10/9 |
Gregorian month/day, converted by our calendar engine. New Year's Eve is the day before that year's Lunar New Year.
How the lunar months are set
Every lunar month starts on the day of the new moon, called day 1. The moon takes about 29.53 days to go round, so lunar months are either "short" (29 days) or "long" (30 days). Twelve of them make about 354 days, some 11 short of the solar year, so about 7 leap months are added every 19 years; see leap months.
That is why Lunar New Year wanders between late January and mid-February. Between 1901 and 2100, the earliest is January 21 (1966) and the latest February 20 (1920).
| Lunar month | Other name |
|---|---|
| 1st month | Zhengyue, also Duanyue |
| 11th month | Dongyue, the "winter month" |
| 12th month | Layue, the last month of the year |
Is the moon full on day 15, or day 16?
How we counted: astronomy-engine computed the moment of all 631 full moons from 2000 to 2050 (Taiwan time), which we then converted to lunar dates.
Day 1 is the day of the new moon, and it takes on average about 14.77 days from new moon to full moon. Add the fact that both can happen at any hour, and that the moon's elliptical orbit makes it speed up and slow down, and day 16 actually gets more full moons than day 15. The Chinese saying "the moon of the 15th is round on the 16th" has a point. For the Mid-Autumn Festival itself, between 2000 and 2050 the full moon fell on day 15 in 20 years, on day 16 in 24 and on day 17 in 7.
Does BaZi use the lunar calendar?
No. BaZi uses the solar terms: the year changes at the Start of Spring, and each month at a "jie" term (Start of Spring, Awakening of Insects, Clear and Bright and so on). New moons and leap months play no part. Cast a BaZi chart from your Gregorian birth date and time; the solar terms are explained in the 24 solar terms.
Three common misconceptions
The Chinese calendar is a purely lunar calendar.
It is lunisolar: months follow the moon, but leap months keep it aligned with the sun, and the solar terms are printed in every almanac. A purely lunar calendar, such as the Islamic calendar, has no leap months, so its holidays drift through the seasons.
The solar terms are part of the lunar calendar.
The solar terms are set by the sun's position; they belong to the solar side of the calendar, which is why their Gregorian dates hardly move.
Lunar New Year's Eve is always day 30 of the 12th month.
When the 12th month has only 29 days, the eve is day 29. Between 1901 and 2100, about 40% of New Year's Eves fall on day 29.
Festivals and conversions
A straight word: BaZi follows the solar terms, not lunar dates
The Chinese calendar is lunisolar: months follow the moon, and festivals and lunar birthdays are counted by it. BaZi does not use lunar months, though. Its year changes at the Start of Spring and its months at the solar terms, and a chart is cast from the Gregorian birth date and time. Our conversions use China Standard Time (UTC+8), the same time zone as the lunar calendar published by Taiwan's Central Weather Administration. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment.
Now cast your BaZi chart
BaZi is cast from your Gregorian birth time and the solar terms. Enter your birthday to get your four pillars for free.
Lunar calendar conversion: common questions
How do I convert a lunar date to a Gregorian date?
Choose "Lunar → Gregorian" in the converter on this page and enter the year, month and day (tick "leap month" if needed).
When is Lunar New Year in 2027?
Sat, Feb 6, 2027, the start of the Year of the Goat. New Year's Eve is Fri, Feb 5, 2027.
Is the moon always full on day 15 of the lunar month?
No. Of the full moons from 2000 to 2050, about 38% fell on day 15, and more, about 47%, on day 16.
Should I use the lunar or the Gregorian date for BaZi?
The Gregorian date and time of birth. BaZi changes years and months at the solar terms, not at lunar months.