Choosing Dates for Openings and Contracts: Opening, Signing and Trading Are Three Different Entries

A new shop opening, a company launch, the first day back at work after Lunar New Year, a major contract to sign: many business owners in Taiwan check the almanac first. The almanac has more than one entry related to business: opening (kai shi), signing contracts (li quan), trading (jiao yi) and receiving money (na cai) each have their own use.

Four "favorable" entries for business

Almanac entryWhat it meansCommon uses
Opening (kai shi 開市)Opening for businessShop openings, company launches, the first workday of the new year
Signing contracts (li quan 立券)Drawing up an agreementContracts, partnership agreements, leases
Trading (jiao yi 交易)Closing a saleBuying or selling property, large transactions
Receiving money (na cai 納財)Taking in money or goodsCollecting payment, taking in stock, making deposits

In our finder, "business opening" looks only at "favorable for opening"; "contract signing / trading" accepts either "signing contracts" or "trading."

78 daysFavorable for opening, next year
17 daysOf those, on a weekend
about 59 daysTwo people unclashed, Ghost Month avoided
97 daysFavorable for signing contracts or trading

How we counted: our date-selection rules applied to the 365 days from October 1, 2026. "Neither person clashed" is the average over every pair of different zodiac signs; each day clashes exactly one sign, which removes about a sixth of the days on average.

Opening is the scarcest of the main occasions, with roughly one day in five to choose from over a year. Fortunately, openings usually happen on weekdays, so the shortage of weekends matters little.

Days favorable for opening after the 2027 Lunar New Year

The first day of the 2027 Lunar New Year falls on February 6. Below are the days from then to the end of February that the almanac marks favorable for opening (before removing any clash with the owner's sign).

DateLunar date · day pillarDay spirit · day officerClash · shaYellow Path hours
Mon, Feb 8, 2027Lunar 1/3 · Wu-Wu 戊午 dayWhite Tiger · Stable dayClashes Rat · sha NorthZi, Chou, Mao, Wu, Shen, You
Sun, Feb 14, 2027Lunar 1/9 · Jia-Zi 甲子 dayGreen Dragon · Open dayClashes Horse · sha SouthZi, Chou, Mao, Wu, Shen, You
Tue, Feb 23, 2027Lunar 1/18 · Gui-You 癸酉 dayBlack Tortoise · Danger dayClashes Rabbit · sha EastZi, Yin, Mao, Wu, Wei, You
Fri, Feb 26, 2027Lunar 1/21 · Bing-Zi 丙子 dayGreen Dragon · Open dayClashes Horse · sha SouthZi, Chou, Mao, Wu, Shen, You

Few days around the New Year holiday are actually favorable for opening. If you want to reopen around the fifth day of the new year, compare with the table above, then use the finder below to drop any day that clashes with the owner's sign.

Find an opening or contract date: add the owner's zodiac sign

We filter by the almanac's favorable and unfavorable activities, drop days that clash with the people involved, and list each day's Yellow Path hours. Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

Zodiac signs change at the Start of Spring (around February 4), so if you were born in January or early February your sign may belong to the previous year; check the year pillar with the free chart calculator if unsure. To avoid clashes for more family members, run the search again with their signs.

Whose sign to avoid

For an opening, tradition looks mainly at the owner's zodiac sign; in a partnership, both partners can be included. For a contract, it is the people signing. All of this only screens out clash days; from the days that remain, choose a Yellow Path hour for the ribbon cutting, opening the doors or putting pen to paper.

A reminder, too: a well-chosen opening day does not take responsibility for the business itself. Location, product and cash flow decide how it goes; date selection adds a measure of reassurance to the first day. To see your own relationship with money in your chart, see BaZi wealth luck.

Choosing a Wedding DateFavorable for marriage, neither sign clashed, Ghost Month avoided Choosing a Moving DateMoving house, moving in, setting up the bed: the differences Day Officers and Yellow Path DaysEstablish, Remove, Full, Balance… and the twelve day spirits Clash and ShaWhat "clashes Rat, sha North" means

A straight word: a good date brings peace of mind, not responsibility for the outcome

Date selection is a custom that goes back more than a thousand years, and it can give an important day a sense of occasion and reassurance. But whether a marriage is happy, a move goes smoothly or a business does well comes down to people. Our favorable and unfavorable activities come from almanac calendar data, and different almanac traditions differ slightly. For a truly important occasion, treat our result as a first pass and, if you like, check it with a teacher you trust. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment.

Before you open, check your own wealth profile?

Whether your Wealth star shows, whether you can carry it, whether Wealth is favorable for you, and which of the next ten years bring Wealth.

Opening and contract date FAQ

Are a business opening and the first workday of the year the same entry?

Yes, both go by "favorable for opening" (kai shi) in the almanac. A shop opening, a company launch and the first workday after Lunar New Year are all traditionally set on a day favorable for opening.

Which "favorable" entry applies to signing a contract?

Contracts go by "signing contracts" (li quan), drawing up an agreement; closing a sale goes by "trading" (jiao yi). Our "contract signing / trading" option accepts either.

Whose zodiac sign should an opening date avoid?

Traditionally the owner's sign comes first; in a partnership, the main partners can be included too. For a contract, it is the people signing.

Which day after the 2027 Lunar New Year is good for starting work?

The first day of the 2027 Lunar New Year is February 6. This page lists the days from then to the end of February that the almanac marks favorable for opening; just remove any that clash with the owner's zodiac sign.