When Is Lantern Festival? Dates for 2026–2036
The Lantern Festival is day 15 of the 1st lunar month, the first full moon of the new year. People eat glutinous rice balls, admire lanterns and solve lantern riddles.
Lantern Festival dates, 2026–2036
| Lunar year | Lantern Festival (Gregorian) |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Horse) | Tue, Mar 3, 2026 |
| 2027 (Goat) | Sat, Feb 20, 2027 |
| 2028 (Monkey) | Wed, Feb 9, 2028 |
| 2029 (Rooster) | Tue, Feb 27, 2029 |
| 2030 (Dog) | Sun, Feb 17, 2030 |
| 2031 (Pig) | Thu, Feb 6, 2031 |
| 2032 (Rat) | Wed, Feb 25, 2032 |
| 2033 (Ox) | Mon, Feb 14, 2033 |
| 2034 (Tiger) | Sun, Mar 5, 2034 |
| 2035 (Rabbit) | Thu, Feb 22, 2035 |
| 2036 (Dragon) | Mon, Feb 11, 2036 |
Converted by our calendar engine (UTC+8). Taiwan public holiday status: not a public holiday. Actual days off follow the announcement of the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration.
Common Lantern Festival customs in Taiwan
- Carrying lanterns and guessing riddles written on them.
- The Taiwan Lantern Festival is held around this date, alongside many local lantern fairs.
- Sky lanterns in Pingxi and the fireworks "beehive" in Yanshui are two of Taiwan's best-known Lantern Festival events.
How the Lantern Festival 2027 unfolds (Sat, Feb 20)
Honoring the Heavenly Official, eating tangyuan. The Lantern Festival is also Shangyuan, said to be the birthday of the Heavenly Official (Tianguan Dadi), who "bestows blessings," so many people visit temples that day. At home families eat tangyuan (also called yuanxiao), round rice balls that stand for family togetherness; in the north they are usually sweet, and some people make savory ones.
Lantern fairs, carrying lanterns, lantern riddles. The Taiwan Lantern Festival moves to a different city or county each year, its main lantern usually themed on the year's zodiac animal, and temples and shopping districts put on local lantern fairs too. Children carry lanterns and adults guess the riddles hung on them: the classic picture of the night.
Sky lanterns, "bombing Lord Handan," beehive fireworks. Sky lanterns in Pingxi, New Taipei; "bombing Lord Handan" in Taitung, where a man playing the god stands as firecrackers are thrown at him; and the beehive fireworks of Yanshui, Tainan, are all famous events around the festival. If you take part, follow the organizers' rules on protective gear and safety, and release sky lanterns only at designated sites.
Tai Sui and guangming lamps installed. Many temples finish installing the year's Tai Sui and guangming lamps around the Lantern Festival, so anyone who wants to register should not leave it too late; follow each temple's notice, and see An Tai Sui 2027.
New Year is over only after the Lantern Festival. Folk custom says "New Year is not over until the 15th," and household New Year decorations and festive foods are usually put away after it, as life returns to normal.
Where the Lantern Festival comes from: Shangyuan, lanterns and Taiwan's version
Taoism groups the 15th days of the 1st, 7th and 10th months as the "Three Yuan," the birthdays of the Heavenly, Earthly and Water Officials; the 15th of the 1st month is Shangyuan, which is why the Lantern Festival is also called the Shangyuan Festival. Folk belief says "the Heavenly Official bestows blessings," and people visit temples that day to pray for a smooth year.
Admiring lanterns on this night goes back a long way: dynasty after dynasty records lanterns and decorations on the 15th of the 1st month and the night curfew being lifted, so the Lantern Festival is also called the festival of lights. Lantern riddles, written on lanterns for passers-by to solve, are a game handed down along the way.
In Taiwan the Lantern Festival brings New Year to a close. The Taiwan Lantern Festival began in 1990 and later started rotating between cities and counties, and many places have their own celebrations: sky lanterns in Pingxi in the north, the beehive fireworks of Yanshui in the south, "bombing Lord Handan" in Taitung. Most of these are tied to blessings, warding off evil or fulfilling vows, examples of local faith blending with festival.
Common Lantern Festival sayings
| The custom | Where it comes from and what it means |
|---|---|
| Tangyuan eaten with the whole family | For "togetherness": the whole family shares a bowl of tangyuan around the festival. |
| "Steal a scallion, marry a good husband" | An old Taiwanese custom: on Lantern Festival night unmarried women would secretly pull a scallion from someone else's garden, praying for a good husband (in Taiwanese, "scallion" rhymes with the word for husband). These days it is mostly just a saying; please do not actually go pulling vegetables. |
| Ducking under the lanterns for a son | People would walk back and forth under the lanterns praying for a son, because "lantern" (deng) sounds like "son" (ding). |
| Wishes on sky lanterns | People write their wishes on a sky lantern before releasing it, praying for a safe and smooth year. |
These are folk sayings handed down over time; enjoy them as part of the festival fun.
The almanac for the Lantern Festival 2027, and which sign it clashes
February 20, 2027 is the Lantern Festival. Its almanac entries and clash are below; by custom, people of the sign it clashes move important business to another day, while lanterns and tangyuan go ahead as usual.
| Date | Sat, Feb 20, 2027 |
|---|---|
| Lunar date | 1st lunar month, day 15 · Geng-Wu day |
| Favorable | Marriage, Ancestral offerings, Coming-of-age rites, Repairing walls, Buying property |
| Avoid | Spinning and weaving, Visiting the sick, Roofing, Building a stove, Groundbreaking |
| Clash and sha | clashes with the Rat (子); sha in the due north |
| Day spirit and officer | White Tiger (Black Path) · Stable day |
The day branch is Wu (午), the Horse's branch. It clashes with the Rat; it forms a Six Combination with the Goat and a trine with the Tiger and Dog. No other sign clashes.
Calculated by our calendar engine (the same one behind the date finder and daily almanac); printed almanacs sometimes differ.
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.
A common misconception
Tangyuan and yuanxiao are the same thing.
In Taiwan both are usually just called tangyuan, but strictly speaking tangyuan are wrapped and rolled by hand, while yuanxiao are made by rolling a filling in glutinous rice flour until it is coated.
Other 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.
Beyond the festivals, read your own chart
BaZi sets its years and months by the solar terms and is cast from your Gregorian birth time. Enter your birthday to get your four pillars for free.
Lantern Festival: common questions
When is Lantern Festival in 2026?
Tue, Mar 3, 2026. In 2027 it falls on Sat, Feb 20, 2027.
What lunar date is Lantern Festival?
Day 15 of the 1st lunar month.
Is Lantern Festival a day off?
In Taiwan it is not a public holiday. Actual days off follow the official government announcement.
Are the Lantern Festival and the Shangyuan Festival the same day?
Yes. The 15th of the 1st lunar month is the Lantern Festival, called Shangyuan in Taoism, said to be the birthday of the Heavenly Official; with Zhongyuan (7th month, 15th) and Xiayuan (10th month, 15th) it makes up the Three Yuan.
Does An Tai Sui have to be done before the Lantern Festival?
Many temples finish installing Tai Sui and guangming lamps around the Lantern Festival, but there is no uniform rule; follow each temple's own notice.
Which zodiac sign does the Lantern Festival 2027 clash with?
February 20, 2027 is a Geng-Wu day, which clashes with the Rat.
Is the Lantern Festival a day off?
Not in Taiwan; it is a normal working and school day. Lantern fairs are mostly in the evening, so you can go on a weekday.
What is the difference between tangyuan and yuanxiao?
In Taiwan both are usually just called tangyuan. Strictly speaking, tangyuan are made by wrapping a filling in glutinous rice dough and rolling it round, while yuanxiao are made by rolling the filling in glutinous rice flour, layer by layer, until it grows.