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1989 is the year of the Earth Snake in the Chinese calendar, from 6 February 1989 to 26 January 1990: 355 days, 12 lunar months. Born before 6 February 1989? That is still the Earth Dragon year.
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355 days · Year of the Earth Snake
Sexagenary year
Fire generates Earth: the year stem is Earth, while theSnake's fixed phase is Fire.
Length
355 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 Earth Snake
Fire generates Earth in the Five Phases, so the Snake’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 “Earth Snake” 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 1989
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 1989.
| Lunar month | Begins | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 6 February 1989 | 30 |
| Month 2 | 8 March 1989 | 29 |
| Month 3 | 6 April 1989 | 29 |
| Month 4 | 5 May 1989 | 30 |
| Month 5 | 4 June 1989 | 29 |
| Month 6 | 3 July 1989 | 30 |
| Month 7 | 2 August 1989 | 29 |
| Month 8 | 31 August 1989 | 30 |
| Month 9 | 30 September 1989 | 29 |
| Month 10 | 29 October 1989 | 30 |
| Month 11 | 28 November 1989 | 30 |
| Month 12 | 28 December 1989 | 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 1989 · 00:20:30 UTC+8
- Awakening of Insects惊蛰5 March 1989 · 22:34:08 UTC+8
- Spring Equinox春分20 March 1989 · 23:28:15 UTC+8
- Pure Brightness清明5 April 1989 · 03:29:54 UTC+8
- Grain Rain谷雨20 April 1989 · 10:38:56 UTC+8
- Beginning of Summer立夏5 May 1989 · 20:53:55 UTC+8
- Grain Buds小满21 May 1989 · 09:53:32 UTC+8
- Grain in Ear芒种6 June 1989 · 01:05:13 UTC+8
- Summer Solstice夏至21 June 1989 · 17:53:00 UTC+8
- Minor Heat小暑7 July 1989 · 11:19:25 UTC+8
- Major Heat大暑23 July 1989 · 04:45:28 UTC+8
- Beginning of Autumn立秋7 August 1989 · 21:03:52 UTC+8
- End of Heat处暑23 August 1989 · 11:46:13 UTC+8
- White Dew白露7 September 1989 · 23:53:53 UTC+8
- Autumn Equinox秋分23 September 1989 · 09:19:37 UTC+8
- Cold Dew寒露8 October 1989 · 15:27:19 UTC+8
- Frost's Descent霜降23 October 1989 · 18:35:08 UTC+8
- Beginning of Winter立冬7 November 1989 · 18:33:32 UTC+8
- Minor Snow小雪22 November 1989 · 16:04:37 UTC+8
- Major Snow大雪7 December 1989 · 11:20:57 UTC+8
- Winter Solstice冬至22 December 1989 · 05:22:00 UTC+8
- Minor Cold小寒5 January 1990 · 22:33:14 UTC+8
- Major Cold大寒20 January 1990 · 16:01:33 UTC+8
Moving Gregorian dates
Festivals in the 1989 lunar year
Most follow numbered lunar dates; Qingming and Winter Solstice follow exact solar-term instants. Open a festival to see its rule.
- 6 February 1989lunar 1/1
- 20 February 1989lunar 1/15
- 8 June 1989lunar 5/5
- 8 August 1989lunar 7/7
- 16 August 1989lunar 7/15
- 14 September 1989lunar 8/15
- 8 October 1989lunar 9/9
- 4 January 1990lunar 12/8
- 26 January 1990lunar 12/30
Gregorian index
Month by month in 1989
Each Gregorian month of 1989, with the lunar dates and day pillars it covers.