When Is The Jade Emperor's Birthday? Dates for 2026–2035
The Jade Emperor, known in Taiwan as Tiangong ("the Lord of Heaven"), is the highest god in Taoism and Chinese folk religion.
The Jade Emperor's Birthday, 2026–2035
| Lunar year | 1st month, day 9 (Gregorian) |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Horse) | Wed, Feb 25, 2026 |
| 2027 (Goat) | Sun, Feb 14, 2027 |
| 2028 (Monkey) | Thu, Feb 3, 2028 |
| 2029 (Rooster) | Wed, Feb 21, 2029 |
| 2030 (Dog) | Mon, Feb 11, 2030 |
| 2031 (Pig) | Fri, Jan 31, 2031 |
| 2032 (Rat) | Thu, Feb 19, 2032 |
| 2033 (Ox) | Tue, Feb 8, 2033 |
| 2034 (Tiger) | Mon, Feb 27, 2034 |
| 2035 (Rabbit) | Fri, Feb 16, 2035 |
Converted by our calendar engine.
How it is kept in Taiwan
- Many families begin the offering late on the night of the 8th and carry it into the zi hour (11 p.m. onward) of the 9th; this is "baitiangong", honoring the Lord of Heaven.
- The traditional altar has an upper table, usually with vegetarian food and tea, and a lower table with meat offerings.
- Taiwanese families often set out sugarcane with its leaves on, after a legend about villagers who hid in a cane field and were saved by Heaven.
Honoring the Jade Emperor in 2027: how it is done (Sun, Feb 14)
When: from the night of day 8 into the early hours of day 9. The most solemn time is the zi hour of day 9, that is, 11 p.m. on day 8 to 1 a.m. on day 9; in 2027 that is the night of Feb 13 into the early hours of Feb 14. If you cannot make the zi hour, honoring him at a temple or at home during the day on the 9th is fine too.
The altar: an upper table and a lower table. Traditionally a long bench raises the altar in front of the family shrine, with an "upper table" and a "lower table." The upper table is for the Jade Emperor himself and holds vegetarian offerings such as plain tea, fruit, wheat noodles and red turtle cakes, with a seat for him in the middle (represented by yellow or red paper); the lower table is for his attendant deities and can hold the three or five kinds of meat (chicken, pork, fish and so on).
Sugarcane and Tiangong paper. Taiwanese households tie two stalks of sugarcane, leaves still on, to either side of the altar, for "rising joint by joint"; the joss paper is mainly Tiangong paper and shoujin (longevity paper). Many temples and communities now encourage less incense and less burning of paper; follow the rules of your temple or community.
How to worship: the traditional form is three kneelings and nine kowtows, with the family offering incense in order of seniority. When the incense has burned about halfway, the paper is burned and firecrackers set off, and finally the offerings are taken down and shared among the family.
In 2027 the Jade Emperor's Birthday falls on Valentine's Day. Since the offering is most solemn at the zi hour the night before, the two hardly collide: honor the Jade Emperor with your family on the night of Feb 13, then celebrate Valentine's Day during the day or evening of the 14th. For all the New Year dates, see Lunar New Year 2027.
Who Tiangong is: the Jade Emperor and the 9th day
Tiangong, "the Lord of Heaven," is the name Taiwanese folk religion gives the Jade Emperor, the highest god in Taoism and folk belief, who rules over all the gods of heaven. Many Taiwanese homes hang a "Tiangong censer" by the front door or in front of the family shrine, with no statue, just incense offered toward the open sky: that is honoring Tiangong.
Why the 9th day? Folk explanations say nine is the highest of the yang numbers, standing for the highest and greatest, so the supreme Lord of Heaven was born on the 9th of the 1st month. Honoring Tiangong is a large affair in Taiwan, and many people treat it as seriously as New Year's Eve.
Besides his birthday, some major life events also call for honoring Tiangong; many families, for example, give thanks to him the day before a wedding. These rites vary by region; follow your family's and temple's customs.
Common taboos when honoring the Jade Emperor
| The custom | Where it comes from and what it means |
|---|---|
| No laundry hung outdoors | On day 9, clothes, and especially underwear, are not hung out to dry outdoors, so as not to show disrespect to the Lord of Heaven. |
| No rubbish or chamber-pot water taken outside | The older generation feared impurity would offend the Lord of Heaven; today most people keep only the habit of not taking out the rubbish that day. |
| No meat on the upper table | The upper table is for the Jade Emperor and holds only vegetarian offerings; meat goes on the lower table. |
| Reverence | Honoring Tiangong calls for sincerity: tidy dress, respectful speech, no horseplay. |
Practice varies widely by region; follow your elders and the temple.
The almanac for the Jade Emperor's Birthday 2027, and which sign it clashes
February 14, 2027 is the Jade Emperor's Birthday. Its almanac entries and clash are below; people of the sign it clashes can honor the Jade Emperor as usual, and by custom only move important business to another day.
| Date | Sun, Feb 14, 2027 |
|---|---|
| Lunar date | 1st lunar month, day 9 · Jia-Zi day |
| Favorable | Marriage, Ancestral offerings, Consecrating statues, Praying for blessings, Praying for children, Travel, Business opening, Trading, Signing contracts, Groundbreaking, Receiving money, Digging a well |
| Avoid | Moving in, Burials, Felling trees, Making beams, Acquiring livestock, Building animal pens, Building a stove |
| Clash and sha | clashes with the Horse (午); sha in the due south |
| Day spirit and officer | Green Dragon (Yellow Path) · Open day |
The day branch is Zi (子), the Rat's branch. It clashes with the Horse; it forms a Six Combination with the Ox and a trine with the Monkey and Dragon. No other sign clashes.
Calculated by our calendar engine (the same one behind the date finder and daily almanac); printed almanacs sometimes differ.
Look up a deity's birthday
Pick a deity and a year to see the Gregorian date, or enter a Gregorian date to see whose day it is. Everything is calculated in your browser.
In "Deity → Gregorian date" the year is the lunar year, so sending off the gods in the 12th month lands in January or February of the next Gregorian year. Conversions use the same engine as the lunar calendar converter.
A common misconception
The Jade Emperor's Birthday is observed in the daytime on the 9th.
Traditionally the offering starts late on the 8th and runs into the zi hour of the 9th, though some people also visit a temple during the day. Follow your family's custom.
Other deity birthdays
A straight word: this is a folk-religion calendar
Most deity birthdays are dates handed down in popular tradition, and temples and schools sometimes differ. We use the dates most common in Taiwan and work out the Gregorian dates carefully so you can plan ahead. For how to worship, follow the temple's own rules; many temples now encourage less incense and good deeds in place of burning paper money. We make no claims about efficacy, and everything here is for reference and entertainment.
Beyond the deity calendar, read your own chart
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The Jade Emperor's Birthday: common questions
When is The Jade Emperor's Birthday in 2026?
Wed, Feb 25, 2026. In 2027 it falls on Sun, Feb 14, 2027.
What lunar date is The Jade Emperor's Birthday?
The 1st lunar month, day 9.
When should the Jade Emperor be honored?
The most solemn time is the zi hour of day 9, from 11 p.m. on day 8 to 1 a.m. on day 9; in 2027 that is the night of Feb 13 into the early hours of Feb 14. Honoring him during the day is fine too.
What do I need to prepare?
The upper table holds vegetarian offerings such as plain tea, fruit, wheat noodles and red turtle cakes; the lower table holds the three or five kinds of meat. Taiwanese households also prepare two stalks of sugarcane with leaves, and the joss paper is mainly Tiangong paper and longevity paper. Practice differs by family; follow your elders and the temple.
Which zodiac sign does the Jade Emperor's Birthday 2027 clash with?
February 14, 2027 is a Jia-Zi day, which clashes with the Horse.
Is sugarcane a must?
No. Sugarcane with its leaves is a common Taiwanese custom, standing for rising joint by joint; it is fine without it. Sincerity matters most.
Why is the Jade Emperor's Birthday on day 9?
Folk explanations say nine is the highest of the yang numbers, standing for the supreme, so the supreme Lord of Heaven was born on the 9th of the 1st month.