Chinese Lunar Calendar

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Chinese calendar, 21 January 2016

21 January 2016 is lunar month 12, day 12, 2015, the Wood Goat year. The day pillar is Yang Water Tiger. 16 named Yi activities; 10 named Ji activities. 7 auspicious time windows; waxing gibbous.

Solar term

Dàhán · Major Cold

Since 20 January 2016

21

Thursday

January 2016

Lunar date

12th Month · 12th Day

二〇一五年腊月十二

Year of the

Wood Goat

Yin Wood Goat · 乙未

Wood restrains Earth in the Five Phases, so the year element is understood as moderating the Goat’s fixed element.

Solar term

Dàhán · Major Cold

since 20 January 2016

Moon phase

Waxing gibbous

Lunar day 12 · between principal phases

Daily almanac · 2016-01-21

The daily almanac & observances

21 January 2016
Traditional day classification

Auspicious · Huang Dao

Golden Coffer 金匮 · 黄道

Huang Dao and Hei Dao name the day-god cycle. For a particular plan, read its Yi and Ji activities below.

宜 Traditionally suitable

忌 Traditionally avoid

Inside this lunar month

Month 12 · 29 days

10 January 2016–7 February 2016. 17 days remain after this date.

Follow the Moon through this month →
Next festival & customs

Lunar New Year's Eve

7 February 2016 · In China, many families share a reunion dinner and stay up late to greet the new year, while the meal and surrounding rituals vary by region.

The Moon this month · UTC+8

January 2016 moon phases

Read the phase guide →

  1. Last quarter

    Lunar 11/23

  2. New moon

    Lunar 12/1

  3. First quarter

    Lunar 12/8

  4. Full moon

    Lunar 12/15

Calculated phase moments use fixed UTC+8. A lunar day number and a Moon phase describe different things. How they fit together →

The surrounding month

Explore the days around 21 January 2016

Select a day to update its quick overview. Today, the selected date and festivals have separate markers.

Gregorian dates and corresponding Chinese lunar month and day for October 2015
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
TodaySelectedFestivalMoon phaseSolar term

Each cell shows the Gregorian day above its lunar month/day. Select any day to update the quick overview, then open its full reading for more detail.

Back to 21 January 2016’s monthOpen the full month →

Calendar terms explained

This day in the traditional cycles

Each result below names this date’s position and explains what the term means.

Day pillar 日柱
Yang Water Tiger · 壬寅— this date’s position in the repeating 60-day stem–branch cycle.Hidden stems are stems conventionally contained in the day pillar’s earthly branch. Primary is the main layer; middle and residual are secondary layers.
  • Yang Wood · Jiǎ 甲 (primary)
  • Yang Fire · Bǐng 丙 (middle)
  • Yang Earth · Wù 戊 (residual)
Month pillar 月柱
Yin Earth Ox · 己丑— the month’s position in the 60-part stem–branch cycle.
Year pillar 年柱
Yin Wood Goat · 乙未— Wood controls Earth; the year’s position in the 60-year cycle.
Day Na Yin 纳音
Gold-leaf Metal · 金箔金— a fixed named element assigned to this pillar; its element is Metal.
Day animal 生肖
Tiger · 虎— the animal of the earthly branch in this date’s pillar.
Opposes 冲
Yang Fire Monkey · 丙申— a Six Clash (六冲), the branch directly opposite this date’s branch in the 12-branch cycle.
Lunar mansion 宿
Horn · 角— this date’s position in the repeating 28-mansion cycle.East palace (东) · Flood dragon creature (蛟) · traditionally favourable (吉)
Day officer 建除
Remove · 除— determined by this date’s earthly branch relative to its solar-term month branch.
Auspicious directions 吉方
  • Joy 喜神: South (正南)
  • Blessing 福神: Southeast (东南)
  • Wealth 财神: South (正南)
Three traditional direction markers determined by this date’s heavenly stem.
Peng Zu lines 彭祖百忌
The verse cautions against drawing water, saying trouble may be hard to guard against.壬不泱水更难提防The verse cautions against ritual offerings, saying spirits may not receive them.寅不祭祀神鬼不尝Two traditional almanac caution lines selected by this date’s stem and branch.

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Plan another date

21 January 2016 corresponds to lunar year 2015, month 12, day 12, in the 乙未 year — the Year of the Goat. You can enter another date in the date converter.

A solar term is one of twenty-four seasonal divisions of the year. The Moon phase follows the astronomical cycle independently of the numbered lunar day.

Looking for a date-selection overview? The almanac guide introduces the calendar’s auspicious-date tools and terminology.

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