Chinese Calendar Converter and Zodiac Sign
Enter a date – the converter shows the date in the Chinese lunar calendar, the year in the 60-year cycle with Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch, the zodiac animal with its element and the date of Chinese New Year. In reverse, it turns a lunar date into the Gregorian day.
Source: Hong Kong Observatory – Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Tables 1901–2100 (15.10.2026). Updated: .
How it is calculated
How the Chinese calendar works
The traditional Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar: every month begins with the new moon and has 29 or 30 days. To keep the year from drifting against the seasons, a leap month is added roughly every three years – in 2025, for example, a second 6th month. The months have no names of their own; they are numbered.
How to convert a Chinese calendar date
- Choose the direction: Gregorian → Chinese or the other way round.
- Enter the date – or the Chinese year, lunar month (leap month if needed) and day.
- Read the lunar date, the year in the 60-year cycle, the zodiac animal with element and the New Year date.
Example: Chinese New Year 2026 fell on 17 February, starting the Year of the Fire Horse. Someone born on 10 February 2026 still belongs to the previous year, the Wood Snake.
Chinese New Year instead of 1 January
The Chinese year, and with it the zodiac animal, begins with Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), usually the second new moon after the winter solstice – always between 21 January and 20 February. In 2026 it falls on 17 February 2026: anyone born on 10 February 2026 was still born in the year of the Snake; from 17 February the year of the Fire Horse begins. In 2027 the year of the Goat begins on 6 February 2027.
The 60-year cycle: Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch
Each year combines one of the 10 Heavenly Stems (甲 Jia to 癸 Gui) with one of the 12 Earthly Branches (子 Zi to 亥 Hai). After 60 years the combination repeats. The Earthly Branch determines the animal (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig), the Heavenly Stem the element (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and Yin or Yang. 2026 is 丙午 Bing-wu, year 43 of the cycle that began in 1984 with 甲子 Jia-zi.
How does the tool calculate?
The lunar date comes from the Gregorian-Lunar conversion tables of the Hong Kong Observatory for 1901 to 2100, where months begin by China time (UTC+8). For 1900 the converter uses the Unicode calendar built into browsers (ICU), which agrees with the standard tables for that year. The browser calculation alone is off on a few dates, for example Chinese New Year 2027 (7 instead of 6 February). For the reverse direction, the converter searches for the day whose lunar date matches exactly. It covers the years 1900 to 2100. More calendars: Hebrew calendar, Persian calendar.
More calendars: the Hebrew date converter, the Hijri calendar converter and the Persian calendar converter.
Frequently asked questions
What is my Chinese zodiac sign?
Enter your date of birth – what counts is the Chinese year, not the calendar year. If you were born in January or February before Chinese New Year, you belong to the previous year’s animal; the converter points this out.
When is Chinese New Year 2026?
On Tuesday, 17 February 2026. It starts the year of the Fire Horse (丙午 Bing-wu). In 2027 Chinese New Year falls on Saturday, 6 February 2027.
What is a leap month?
A month that occurs twice in the same year so that the lunar calendar keeps pace with the solar year. In 2025 the 6th month was followed by a leap 6th month. For the reverse conversion, tick “Leap month”.
What do Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch mean?
Together they form the name of the year in the 60-year cycle. The Earthly Branch gives the animal, the Heavenly Stem the element and Yin/Yang – in 2026, for example, Fire (Yang) and Horse.
Why doesn’t my Chinese zodiac match my birth year?
The Chinese year starts with the New Year festival, between 21 January and 20 February. If you were born in January or February before that day, your zodiac animal is the one of the previous year.
Sources and legal basis
- Hong Kong Observatory – Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Tables 1901–2100 (15.10.2026)
- ICU User Guide – Calendar Classes (1900)
As of: · Editorial policy
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