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1940 is the year of the Metal Dragon in the Chinese calendar, from 8 February 1940 to 26 January 1941: 354 days, 12 lunar months. Born before 8 February 1940? That is still the Earth Rabbit year.
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354 days · Year of the Metal Dragon
Sexagenary year
Earth generates Metal: the year stem is Metal, while theDragon's fixed phase is Earth.
Length
354 days
Across 12 lunar months.
Leap month
None
The year runs its ordinary twelve months.
Beginning of Spring
Not within this year
立春 does not fall inside it — a springless year, 无春年.
Year name explained
Why Metal Dragon
Earth generates Metal in the Five Phases, so the Dragon’s fixed element supports the year element.
The animal repeats every 12 years, while the stem-and-branch pairing repeats every 60. The element in “Metal Dragon” comes from the year's heavenly stem; it is distinct from the animal's conventional fixed phase. Read the calendar glossary.
The 12 lunar months of 1940
A lunar month begins on the day of the new moon, so its Gregorian start date moves every year. These are the exact correspondences for 1940.
| Lunar month | Begins | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 8 February 1940 | 30 |
| Month 2 | 9 March 1940 | 30 |
| Month 3 | 8 April 1940 | 29 |
| Month 4 | 7 May 1940 | 30 |
| Month 5 | 6 June 1940 | 29 |
| Month 6 | 5 July 1940 | 30 |
| Month 7 | 4 August 1940 | 29 |
| Month 8 | 2 September 1940 | 29 |
| Month 9 | 1 October 1940 | 30 |
| Month 10 | 31 October 1940 | 29 |
| Month 11 | 29 November 1940 | 30 |
| Month 12 | 29 December 1940 | 29 |
The solar year within it
23 solar terms
Solar terms track the sun rather than the moon, so they sit at almost the same Gregorian date every year while the lunar months move by weeks. A twelve-month year is about eleven days shorter than the solar year and so holds fewer of them than a thirteen-month one.
- Rain Water雨水20 February 1940 · 03:03:42 UTC+8
- Awakening of Insects惊蛰6 March 1940 · 01:23:58 UTC+8
- Spring Equinox春分21 March 1940 · 02:23:41 UTC+8
- Pure Brightness清明5 April 1940 · 06:34:34 UTC+8
- Grain Rain谷雨20 April 1940 · 13:50:52 UTC+8
- Beginning of Summer立夏6 May 1940 · 00:16:16 UTC+8
- Grain Buds小满21 May 1940 · 13:23:00 UTC+8
- Grain in Ear芒种6 June 1940 · 04:44:02 UTC+8
- Summer Solstice夏至21 June 1940 · 21:36:22 UTC+8
- Minor Heat小暑7 July 1940 · 15:08:01 UTC+8
- Major Heat大暑23 July 1940 · 08:34:03 UTC+8
- Beginning of Autumn立秋8 August 1940 · 00:51:29 UTC+8
- End of Heat处暑23 August 1940 · 15:28:30 UTC+8
- White Dew白露8 September 1940 · 03:29:14 UTC+8
- Autumn Equinox秋分23 September 1940 · 12:45:32 UTC+8
- Cold Dew寒露8 October 1940 · 18:42:23 UTC+8
- Frost's Descent霜降23 October 1940 · 21:39:18 UTC+8
- Beginning of Winter立冬7 November 1940 · 21:26:46 UTC+8
- Minor Snow小雪22 November 1940 · 18:48:55 UTC+8
- Major Snow大雪7 December 1940 · 13:57:51 UTC+8
- Winter Solstice冬至22 December 1940 · 07:54:41 UTC+8
- Minor Cold小寒6 January 1941 · 01:03:54 UTC+8
- Major Cold大寒20 January 1941 · 18:33:37 UTC+8
Moving Gregorian dates
Festivals in the 1940 lunar year
Most follow numbered lunar dates; Qingming and Winter Solstice follow exact solar-term instants. Open a festival to see its rule.
- 8 February 1940lunar 1/1
- 22 February 1940lunar 1/15
- 10 June 1940lunar 5/5
- 10 August 1940lunar 7/7
- 18 August 1940lunar 7/15
- 16 September 1940lunar 8/15
- 9 October 1940lunar 9/9
- 5 January 1941lunar 12/8
- 26 January 1941lunar 12/29
Gregorian index
Month by month in 1940
Each Gregorian month of 1940, with the lunar dates and day pillars it covers.