The Chinese Calendar II- Month

Month start and end dates and times for year 2008, based on timezone +08:00 hrs of GMT

Month 01 : 07 Feb 2008 11:45:00 08 Mar 2008 01:14:40

Month 02 : 08 Mar 2008 01:14:40 06 Apr 2008 11:55:42
Month 03 : 06 Apr 2008 11:55:42 05 May 2008 20:18:37
Month 04 : 05 May 2008 20:18:37 04 Jun 2008 03:22:58
Month 05 : 04 Jun 2008 03:22:58 03 Jul 2008 10:19:00
Month 06 : 03 Jul 2008 10:19:00 01 Aug 2008 18:12:59
Month 07 : 01 Aug 2008 18:12:59 31 Aug 2008 03:58:30
Month 08 : 31 Aug 2008 03:58:30 29 Sep 2008 16:12:44
Month 09 : 29 Sep 2008 16:12:44 29 Oct 2008 07:14:21
Month 10 : 29 Oct 2008 07:14:21 28 Nov 2008 00:55:07
Month 11 : 28 Nov 2008 00:55:07 27 Dec 2008 20:22:55
Month 12 : 27 Dec 2008 20:22:55 26 Jan 2009 15:55:49
The Chinese Calendar I
Although this calendar is followed by Chinese all over the world, mysteries abound on the
computation of this calendar. Like any knowledge developed by ancient civilizations, I consider
even this calendar deserves merit to study it in details. The purpose of this article is to provide a
brief description and its astronomical basis for those who are interested. When time permits, I will
try to contribute more on this subject. I am sure, my understanding of this calendar will increase
with such narration of my current understanding.

Tropical or Sidereal

Whenever we discuss about any calendar, we need to know whether the purpose of the calendar is
to reckon time with respect to seasons or with respect to fixed stars. Like any other calendar which
was developed to keep track of the seasons for agricultural purposes, this calendar is a tropical
calendar and tries to synchronize with the season markers such as equinoxes and solstices.
However, instead of this being a solar calendar which traces the beginning and end of the calendar
to the beginning and end of the the tropical zodiac (where beginning of Aries is tagged to vernal
equinox), this calendar is a synodic calendar, which is based on the movement of Sun as well as the
Moon. It is worthy to mention that most part of India also follows synodic calendar while also
keeping it synchronous with the seasons by adding or subtracting intercalary months.

However, part of India also follow Sidereal calendar which is marked by movement of Sun in the
sidereal zodiac i.e., with respect to the fixed stars and for them the year starts with the movement of
Sun into the sidereal Aries somewhere on April 14 (as of now).

Start of the Year

The year starts on the day Sun and Moon conjoins in Tropical Aquarius. Thus the first day of this
calendar is the 1st day of the bright half (shukla paksha) as per the amanta calendar followed in
certain parts of India. One should note here is that the exact moment of conjunction of Sun and
Moon marks the end of New Moon and beginning of the bright half.

Although the time of conjunction of Sun and Moon is known to start the Chinese calendar, the date
of celebration would need further consideration. Since in actual practice, we follow the civil
calendar (Gregorian calendar) and the civil time (24hrs day), we need to know which day should be
taken as per the Gregorian calendar for the celebration of the new year. As per this civil time the
day on which the Moon conjoins the Sun (irrespective of the part of the day) is treated as the start of
new year. Thus if the conjunction happens before 00:00 hrs, the current day is treated as th new
year, else, the next day will be so treated.

Based on this principles, the CNY dates for various years are given below. I have considered
timezone +08:00 East of GMT for the time of beginning of the year, i.e, the beginning of bright half
(shukla pratipada). Based on the timezone, the date can vary.

Year# YR START DATE & END DATE & TIME ANIMAL ELEMENT
YEAR TIME
4645 1948 10 Feb 1948 11:02:22 29 Jan 1949 10:42:43: Rat Earth
4646 1949 29 Jan 1949 10:42:43 17 Feb 1950 06:53:25 Ox Earth
4647 1950 17 Feb 1950 06:53:25 06 Feb 1951 15:54:11 : Tiger Metal
4648 1951 06 Feb 1951 15:54:11 27 Jan 1952 06:26:46 : Rabbit Metal
4649 1952 27 Jan 1952 06:26:46 14 Feb 1953 09:10:42 : Dragon Water
4650 1953 14 Feb 1953 09:10:42 03 Feb 1954 23:55:52 : Snake Water
4651 1954 03 Feb 1954 23:55:52 24 Jan 1955 09:07:09 : Horse Wood
4652 1955 24 Jan 1955 09:07:09 12 Feb 1956 05:38:17 : Sheep Wood
4653 1956 12 Feb 1956 05:38:17 31 Jan 1957 05:25:13 : Monkey Fire
4654 1957 31 Jan 1957 05:25:13 20 Jan 1958 06:08:20 : Rooster Fire
4655 1958 20 Jan 1958 06:08:20 08 Feb 1959 03:22:35 : Dog Earth
4656 1959 08 Feb 1959 03:22:35 28 Jan 1960 14:15:36 : Pig Earth
4657 1960 28 Jan 1960 14:15:36 15 Feb 1961 16:10:47 : Rat Metal
4658 1961 15 Feb 1961 16:10:47 05 Feb 1962 08:10:21 : Ox Metal
4659 1962 05 Feb 1962 08:10:21 25 Jan 1963 21:42:23 : Tiger Water
4660 1963 25 Jan 1963 21:42:23 13 Feb 1964 21:01:41 : Rabbit Water
4661 1964 13 Feb 1964 21:01:41 02 Feb 1965 00:36:06 : Dragon Wood
4662 1965 02 Feb 1965 00:36:06 21 Jan 1966 23:46:44 : Snake Wood
4663 1966 21 Jan 1966 23:46:44 09 Feb 1967 18:44:23 : Horse Fire
4664 1967 09 Feb 1967 18:44:23 30 Jan 1968 00:29:41 : Sheep Fire
4665 1968 30 Jan 1968 00:29:41 17 Feb 1969 00:25:31 : Monkey Earth
4666 1969 17 Feb 1969 00:25:31 06 Feb 1970 15:13:17 : Rooster Earth
4667 1970 06 Feb 1970 15:13:17 27 Jan 1971 06:55:35 : Dog Metal
4668 1971 27 Jan 1971 06:55:35 15 Feb 1972 08:29:15 : Pig Metal
4669 1972 15 Feb 1972 08:29:15 03 Feb 1973 17:23:22 : Rat Water
4670 1973 03 Feb 1973 17:23:22 23 Jan 1974 19:02:29 : Ox Water
4671 1974 23 Jan 1974 19:02:29 11 Feb 1975 13:17:27 : Tiger Wood
4672 1975 11 Feb 1975 13:17:27 31 Jan 1976 14:20:43 : Rabbit Wood
4673 1976 31 Jan 1976 14:20:43 18 Feb 1977 11:37:23 : Dragon Fire
4674 1977 18 Feb 1977 11:37:23 07 Feb 1978 22:54:28 : Snake Fire
4675 1978 07 Feb 1978 22:54:28 28 Jan 1979 14:19:59 : Horse Earth
4676 1979 28 Jan 1979 14:19:59 16 Feb 1980 16:51:20 : Sheep Earth
4677 1980 16 Feb 1980 16:51:20 05 Feb 1981 06:14:16 : Monkey Metal
4678 1981 05 Feb 1981 06:14:16 25 Jan 1982 12:56:30 : Rooster Metal
4679 1982 25 Jan 1982 12:56:30 13 Feb 1983 08:32:24 : Dog Water
4680 1983 13 Feb 1983 08:32:24 02 Feb 1984 07:47:00 : Pig Water
4681 1984 02 Feb 1984 07:47:00 21 Jan 1985 10:28:48 Rat Wood
4682 1985 21 Jan 1985 10:28:48 09 Feb 1986 08:55:49 : Ox Wood
4683 1986 09 Feb 1986 08:55:49 29 Jan 1987 21:44:58 : Tiger Fire
4684 1987 29 Jan 1987 21:44:58 17 Feb 1988 23:54:42 : Rabbit Fire
4685 1988 17 Feb 1988 23:54:42 06 Feb 1989 15:37:25 : Dragon Earth
4686 1989 06 Feb 1989 15:37:25 27 Jan 1990 03:20:33 : Snake Earth
4687 1990 27 Jan 1990 03:20:33 15 Feb 1991 01:32:15 : Horse Metal
4688 1991 15 Feb 1991 01:32:15 04 Feb 1992 03:00:14 : Sheep Metal
4689 1992 04 Feb 1992 03:00:14 23 Jan 1993 02:27:27 : Monkey Water
4690 1993 23 Jan 1993 02:27:27 10 Feb 1994 22:30:27 : Rooster Water
4691 1994 10 Feb 1994 22:30:27 31 Jan 1995 06:48:13 : Dog Wood
4692 1995 31 Jan 1995 06:48:13 19 Feb 1996 07:30:36 : Pig Wood
4693 1996 19 Feb 1996 07:30:36 07 Feb 1997 23:06:42 : Rat Rat Fire
: Fire
4694 1997 07 Feb 1997 23:06:42 28 Jan 1998 14:01:19 : Ox Ox Fire
: Fire
4695 1998 28 Jan 1998 14:01:19 16 Feb 1999 14:39:12 : Tiger Earth
Tiger : Earth
4696 1999 16 Feb 1999 14:39:12 05 Feb 2000 21:03:50 : Rabbit Earth
Rabbit : Earth
4697 2000 05 Feb 2000 21:03:50 24 Jan 2001 21:07:26 : Dragon Metal
Dragon : Metal
4698 2001 24 Jan 2001 21:07:26 12 Feb 2002 15:41:28 : Snake Metal
Snake : Metal
4699 2002 12 Feb 2002 15:41:28 01 Feb 2003 18:48:54 : Horse Water
Horse : Water
4700 2003 01 Feb 2003 18:48:54 22 Jan 2004 05:05:21 : Sheep Water
Sheep : Water
4701 2004 22 Jan 2004 05:05:21 09 Feb 2005 06:28:28 : Monkey Wood
Monkey : Wood
4702 2005 09 Feb 2005 06:28:28 29 Jan 2006 22:15:03 : Rooster Wood
Rooster: Wood
4703 2006 29 Jan 2006 22:15:03 18 Feb 2007 00:14:43 : Dog Fire
Dog : Fire
4704 2007 18 Feb 2007 00:14:43 07 Feb 2008 11:45:00 : Pig Pig Fire
: Fire
4705 2008 07 Feb 2008 11:45:00 26 Jan 2009 15:55:49 : Rat Rat Earth
: Earth
4706 2009 26 Jan 2009 15:55:49 14 Feb 2010 10:51:50 : Ox Ox Earth
: Earth
4707 2010 14 Feb 2010 10:51:50 03 Feb 2011 10:31:10 : Tiger Metal
Tiger : Metal
4708 2011 03 Feb 2011 10:31:10 23 Jan 2012 15:39:43 : Rabbit Metal
Rabbit : Metal
4709 2012 23 Jan 2012 15:39:43 10 Feb 2013 15:20:30 : Dragon Water
Dragon : Water
4710 2013 10 Feb 2013 15:20:30 31 Jan 2014 05:38:53 : Snake Water
Snake : Water
4711 2014 31 Jan 2014 05:38:53 20 Jan 2015 21:14:03 : Horse Wood
Horse : Wood
4712 2015 20 Jan 2015 21:14:03 08 Feb 2016 22:39:17** : Sheep Wood
 Sheep: Wood
4713 2016 08 Feb 2016 22:39:17 28 Jan 2017 08:07:27 : Monkey Fire
Monkey : Fire
4714 2017 28 Jan 2017 08:07:27 16 Feb 2018 05:05:38 : Rooster Fire
4715 2018 16 Feb 2018 05:05:38 05 Feb 2019 05:04:01 : Dog Earth
4716 2019 05 Feb 2019 05:04:01 25 Jan 2020 05:42:23 Pig Earth
4717 2020 25 Jan 2020 05:42:23 12 Feb 2021 03:06:00 : Rat Metal
4718 2021 12 Feb 2021 03:06:00 01 Feb 2022 13:46:16 : Ox Metal
4719 2022 01 Feb 2022 13:46:16 22 Jan 2023 04:53:28 : Tiger Water
4720 2023 22 Jan 2023 04:53:28 10 Feb 2024 06:59:23 : Rabbit Water
4721 2024 10 Feb 2024 06:59:23 29 Jan 2025 20:36:12 : Dragon Wood
4722 2025 29 Jan 2025 20:36:12 17 Feb 2026 20:01:23 : Snake Wood
4723 2026 17 Feb 2026 20:01:23 06 Feb 2027 23:56:23 : Horse Fire
4724 2027 06 Feb 2027 23:56:23 26 Jan 2028 23:12:46 : Sheep Fire
4725 2028 26 Jan 2028 23:12:46 13 Feb 2029 18:31:44 : Monkey Earth
4726 2029 13 Feb 2029 18:31:44 03 Feb 2030 00:07:40 : Rooster Earth
4727 2030 03 Feb 2030 00:07:40 23 Jan 2031 12:31:05 : Dog Metal
4728 2031 23 Jan 2031 12:31:05 11 Feb 2032 14:24:18 : Pig Metal
4729 2032 11 Feb 2032 14:24:18 31 Jan 2033 05:59:55 : Rat Water
4730 2033 31 Jan 2033 05:59:55 20 Jan 2034 18:01:37 : Ox Water
4731 2034 20 Jan 2034 18:01:37 08 Feb 2035 16:22:14 : Tiger Wood
4732 2035 08 Feb 2035 16:22:14 28 Jan 2036 18:17:19 : Rabbit Wood
4733 2036 28 Jan 2036 18:17:19 15 Feb 2037 12:54:12 : Dragon Fire
4734 2037 15 Feb 2037 12:54:12 04 Feb 2038 13:52:14 : Snake fire
4735 2038 04 Feb 2038 13:52:14 24 Jan 2039 21:36:05 : Horse Earth
4736 2039 24 Jan 2039 21:36:05 12 Feb 2040 22:24:22 : Sheep Earth
4737 2040 12 Feb 2040 22:24:22 01 Feb 2041 13:42:48 : Monkey Metal
4738 2041 01 Feb 2041 13:42:48 22 Jan 2042 04:41:59 : Rooster Metal
4739 2042 22 Jan 2042 04:41:59 10 Feb 2043 05:07:38 : Dog Water
4740 2043 10 Feb 2043 05:07:38 30 Jan 2044 12:04:28 : Pig Water
4741 2044 30 Jan 2044 12:04:28 17 Feb 2045 07:51:06 : Rat Wood
4742 2045 17 Feb 2045 07:51:06 06 Feb 2046 07:09:40 : Ox Wood
4743 2046 06 Feb 2046 07:09:40 26 Jan 2047 09:43:39 : Tiger Fire
4744 2047 26 Jan 2047 09:43:39 14 Feb 2048 08:31:21 : Rabbit fire
4745 2048 14 Feb 2048 08:31:21 02 Feb 2049 21:15:36 : Dragon Earth
4746 2049 02 Feb 2049 21:15:36 23 Jan 2050 12:56:41 : Snake Earth
4747 2050 23 Jan 2050 12:56:41 11 Feb 2051 14:41:18 : Horse Metal
4748 2051 11 Feb 2051 14:41:18 01 Feb 2052 02:30:05 : Sheep Metal
4749 2052 01 Feb 2052 02:30:05 19 Feb 2053 00:31:19 : Monkey Water
4750 2053 19 Feb 2053 00:31:19 08 Feb 2054 02:13:50 : Rooster Water
4751 2054 08 Feb 2054 02:13:50 28 Jan 2055 01:39:13 : Dog Wood
4752 2055 28 Jan 2055 01:39:13 15 Feb 2056 21:59:40 Pig Wood
4753 2056 15 Feb 2056 21:59:40 04 Feb 2057 06:10:21 : Rat Fire
4754 2057 04 Feb 2057 06:10:21 24 Jan 2058 20:14:05 : Ox fire
4755 2058 24 Jan 2058 20:14:05 12 Feb 2059 22:27:12 : Tiger Earth
4756 2059 12 Feb 2059 22:27:12 02 Feb 2060 13:22:26 : Rabbit Earth
4757 2060 02 Feb 2060 13:22:26 21 Jan 2061 23:16:12 : Dragon Metal
4758 2061 21 Jan 2061 23:16:12 09 Feb 2062 20:10:38 : Snake Metal
4759 2062 09 Feb 2062 20:10:38 29 Jan 2063 20:23:09 : Horse Water
4760 2063 29 Jan 2063 20:23:09 17 Feb 2064 15:02:58 : Sheep Water
4761 2064 17 Feb 2064 15:02:58 05 Feb 2065 18:02:11 : Monkey Wood
4762 2065 05 Feb 2065 18:02:11 26 Jan 2066 04:14:09 : Rooster Wood
4763 2066 26 Jan 2066 04:14:09 14 Feb 2067 05:57:26 : Dog Fire
4764 2067 14 Feb 2067 05:57:26 03 Feb 2068 21:44:33 : Pig fire

** In these years, there are two conjunctions of Sun & Moon in Tropical Aquarius out of which the
2nd one should be taken as the beginning of the year. Based on this, the dates would require
revision. (I will do it in my next revision of this article.)

OM TAT SAT