Gregorian–Lunar Calendar Converter

Convert dates between the Gregorian (solar) calendar and Chinese lunar calendar

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Gregorian to Lunar

Lunar Date

二〇二六 Year, 2nd Month 6th

Stems & Branches: Bing-Wu Year, Xin-Mao Month, Ding-You Day Zodiac: 🐎 Horse

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Lunar to Gregorian

Leap Month

Gregorian Date

Select a lunar date and click Convert

Calendar Knowledge

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What is the Gregorian Calendar?

The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. Based on Earth's orbit around the Sun, it has 12 months totaling 365 days (or 366 in a leap year). Introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, it refined the earlier Julian calendar.

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What is the Lunar Calendar?

The Chinese lunar calendar (also called the agricultural calendar) is a traditional lunisolar calendar. It tracks both the Moon's phases and the solar year, with 12 or 13 months per year, each having 29 or 30 days. Leap months are added periodically to keep it aligned with the seasons.

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Gregorian vs. Lunar Calendar

The Gregorian calendar is purely solar, based on Earth's orbit. The lunar calendar is lunisolar, incorporating both Moon phases and seasons. Gregorian months have fixed lengths (28–31 days), while lunar months follow the Moon (29–30 days). The two differ by about 11 days annually, balanced by leap months.

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The 24 Solar Terms

The 24 solar terms are a key component of the Chinese calendar, reflecting the Sun's position in the sky. They divide the year into 24 periods that guide agricultural activities and daily life. Major terms include Start of Spring, Spring Equinox, Start of Summer, Summer Solstice, and Winter Solstice.

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The 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals

The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by an animal: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Your birth year's animal is believed to influence your personality and fortune in Chinese culture.

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Heavenly Stems & Earthly Branches

The Heavenly Stems (10) and Earthly Branches (12) form the Sexagenary Cycle, an ancient Chinese system for counting years, months, and days. Combined, they create a 60-unit cycle used in traditional astrology, fortune-telling, and the Chinese almanac.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q Why does the lunar calendar have leap months?

Leap months reconcile the difference between the lunar year (~354 days) and the solar year (~365 days). Without them, the lunar New Year would drift through the seasons. By adding a leap month roughly every 2–3 years, the calendar stays synchronized with the seasons.

Q How do I know if a year is a leap year?

In the Gregorian calendar, a leap year is divisible by 4, except for years divisible by 100 (unless also divisible by 400). For example: 2024 is a leap year (divisible by 4); 1900 is not (divisible by 100 but not 400); 2000 is a leap year (divisible by 400).

Q Why does Chinese New Year fall on different dates?

Chinese New Year is the 1st day of the 1st lunar month. Because the lunar calendar follows Moon phases while the Gregorian calendar follows the Sun, the corresponding Gregorian date varies each year—typically between January 21 and February 20.

Q When does the Chinese zodiac year begin?

There are two traditional views: some count from Chinese New Year (the 1st lunar month), while others count from the Start of Spring solar term. In everyday use, Chinese New Year is the common boundary, but in Chinese astrology and fortune-telling, the Start of Spring is often used.

Lunar Calendar vs. Solar Calendar — What's the Difference?

If you've ever wondered "what's today's date on the lunar calendar?" or "when is my lunar birthday?", you're in the right place. The Western calendar (also called the Gregorian or solar calendar) is based on the Earth orbiting the sun — 365 days a year. The Chinese lunar calendar, on the other hand, follows the moon's phases — about 354 days per year.

That's why Chinese New Year falls on a different date every year — it's calculated using the lunar calendar, not the solar one. The Chinese calendar is technically a lunisolar calendar, meaning it tracks both the moon AND the sun. Leap months are added every 2-3 years to keep festivals aligned with the right seasons.

How to find your lunar birthday: Just enter your Western (solar) birthday in the converter above, and it will instantly show you the corresponding lunar date. Many Chinese families celebrate both birthdays — the solar one on your ID card, and the lunar one for traditional celebrations.

Want to know more about today's date? Check the Chinese Almanac for today's lucky activities, auspicious hours, and feng shui directions. Or use the Lucky Day Finder to search for the best upcoming dates for weddings, moving, and more.