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1972 is the year of the Water Rat in the Chinese calendar, from 15 February 1972 to 2 February 1973: 354 days, 12 lunar months. Born before 15 February 1972? That is still the Metal Pig year.
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354 days · Year of the Water Rat
Sexagenary year
Water reinforces Water: the year stem is Water, while theRat's fixed phase is Water.
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 Water Rat
Water is both the year element and the Rat’s fixed element, so this pairing reinforces Water.
The animal repeats every 12 years, while the stem-and-branch pairing repeats every 60. The element in “Water Rat” 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 1972
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 1972.
| Lunar month | Begins | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 15 February 1972 | 29 |
| Month 2 | 15 March 1972 | 30 |
| Month 3 | 14 April 1972 | 29 |
| Month 4 | 13 May 1972 | 29 |
| Month 5 | 11 June 1972 | 30 |
| Month 6 | 11 July 1972 | 29 |
| Month 7 | 9 August 1972 | 30 |
| Month 8 | 8 September 1972 | 29 |
| Month 9 | 7 October 1972 | 30 |
| Month 10 | 6 November 1972 | 30 |
| Month 11 | 6 December 1972 | 29 |
| Month 12 | 4 January 1973 | 30 |
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19 February 1972 · 21:11:23 UTC+8
- Awakening of Insects惊蛰5 March 1972 · 19:28:04 UTC+8
- Spring Equinox春分20 March 1972 · 20:21:25 UTC+8
- Pure Brightness清明5 April 1972 · 00:28:50 UTC+8
- Grain Rain谷雨20 April 1972 · 07:37:29 UTC+8
- Beginning of Summer立夏5 May 1972 · 18:01:10 UTC+8
- Grain Buds小满21 May 1972 · 06:59:29 UTC+8
- Grain in Ear芒种5 June 1972 · 22:21:59 UTC+8
- Summer Solstice夏至21 June 1972 · 15:06:10 UTC+8
- Minor Heat小暑7 July 1972 · 08:42:53 UTC+8
- Major Heat大暑23 July 1972 · 02:02:30 UTC+8
- Beginning of Autumn立秋7 August 1972 · 18:28:29 UTC+8
- End of Heat处暑23 August 1972 · 09:03:01 UTC+8
- White Dew白露7 September 1972 · 21:15:06 UTC+8
- Autumn Equinox秋分23 September 1972 · 06:32:45 UTC+8
- Cold Dew寒露8 October 1972 · 12:41:45 UTC+8
- Frost's Descent霜降23 October 1972 · 15:41:27 UTC+8
- Beginning of Winter立冬7 November 1972 · 15:39:23 UTC+8
- Minor Snow小雪22 November 1972 · 13:02:41 UTC+8
- Major Snow大雪7 December 1972 · 08:18:42 UTC+8
- Winter Solstice冬至22 December 1972 · 02:12:53 UTC+8
- Minor Cold小寒5 January 1973 · 19:25:19 UTC+8
- Major Cold大寒20 January 1973 · 12:48:12 UTC+8
Moving Gregorian dates
Festivals in the 1972 lunar year
Most follow numbered lunar dates; Qingming and Winter Solstice follow exact solar-term instants. Open a festival to see its rule.
- 15 February 1972lunar 1/1
- 29 February 1972lunar 1/15
- 15 June 1972lunar 5/5
- 15 August 1972lunar 7/7
- 23 August 1972lunar 7/15
- 22 September 1972lunar 8/15
- 15 October 1972lunar 9/9
- 11 January 1973lunar 12/8
- 2 February 1973lunar 12/30
Gregorian index
Month by month in 1972
Each Gregorian month of 1972, with the lunar dates and day pillars it covers.