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Comparing calendars
Chinese vs Gregorian
The Chinese calendar is lunisolar — its months set by the new moon, its years named rather than numbered — so Chinese New Year lands on a different Gregorian date each year, always between late January and late February.
| Attribute | Chinese | Gregorian |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Lunisolar | Solar |
| Origin | Chinese tradition, refined over millennia | A 1582 reform of the Julian calendar, under Pope Gregory XIII |
| Year | 12 or 13 lunar months (353–385 days) | 365 days, or 366 in a leap year (365.2425 on average) |
| Months | 12, or 13 in a leap year, each starting at the new moon | 12, of 28–31 days |
| Week | No traditional week; years run in a 60-year cycle of names | 7 days |
| Leap rule | A leap month, added to keep the months with the solar terms | One leap day every 4 years — but not in a century year unless it divides by 400 |
| Counts years from | Counted in 60-year cycles and reign eras, not one running number | The traditional birth of Christ (AD / CE) |
| Where it’s used | Festivals and traditional life; the civil calendar is Gregorian | The world’s common civil calendar |
See this moment on each: Chinese calendar · Gregorian calendar. Or convert a specific date into both.