Chinese Holidays 2026-2027
See every major Chinese holiday on the Gregorian calendar
Find the dates for Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival, Qingming, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and other traditional Chinese holidays in 2026 and 2027.
Whether you’re planning family celebrations, school activities, or creating a personalized calendar, this guide shows each festival alongside its Gregorian date so it’s easy to plan ahead.
Chinese holiday dates for 2026 and 2027
Chinese holidays follow the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, which means they fall on different Gregorian dates each year. Below you’ll find the major traditional festivals for both 2026 and 2027, including their lunar dates and corresponding Gregorian dates.
1st day, 1st month
Chinese New Year 春节
Spring Festival; 2026 begins the Year of the Horse
15th day, 1st month
Lantern Festival 元宵节
Full moon; ends New Year celebrations
Solar term
Qingming 清明节
Tomb-Sweeping Day; follows the sun, not the moon
5th day, 5th month
Dragon Boat Festival 端午节
Duanwu; dragon-boat races and zongzi
7th day, 7th month
Qixi 七夕
The "Chinese Valentine's Day"
15th day, 8th month
Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节
Full-moon reunion dinner and mooncakes
9th day, 9th month
Double Ninth 重阳节
Chongyang; honoring elders and ancestors
Major Chinese festivals throughout the year
Chinese traditions celebrate the changing seasons through festivals centered around family, remembrance, gratitude, and community.
Chinese New Year (春节)
Chinese New Year marks the beginning of the lunar year and is the most widely celebrated festival in the Chinese calendar. Families gather for reunion dinners, exchange gifts, and welcome a new zodiac year together. In 2026, Chinese New Year begins on February 17, starting the Year of the Horse.
Lantern Festival (元宵节)
Celebrated on the fifteenth day of the lunar new year, the Lantern Festival marks the traditional end of the New Year celebrations. Lantern displays, family gatherings, and sweet rice dumplings are common traditions.
Qingming Festival (清明节)
Qingming, also called Tomb-Sweeping Day, is dedicated to remembering ancestors. Families visit gravesites, clean memorials, and spend time together honoring previous generations. Unlike most Chinese festivals, Qingming follows the solar calendar, so it stays close to April 5 every year.
Dragon Boat Festival (端午节)
Dragon Boat Festival is known for dragon boat races and zongzi, sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves. The festival commemorates the poet Qu Yuan and has become one of China’s best-known cultural celebrations.
Qixi Festival (七夕)
Often called Chinese Valentine’s Day, Qixi celebrates love and an ancient folk legend of two lovers reunited once each year.
Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节)
Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates family reunion during the full moon. Families gather to share mooncakes, enjoy evening meals together, and appreciate the harvest season. It is one of the most important family holidays in Chinese culture.
Double Ninth Festival (重阳节)
Double Ninth Festival is traditionally associated with honoring older family members, visiting ancestors, and enjoying autumn outings.
Why do Chinese holiday dates change every year?
Most Chinese festivals follow the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar used internationally. Because lunar months don’t match the length of the solar year, festival dates move every year when viewed on the Gregorian calendar.
For example:
- Chinese New Year may fall in late January or February.
- Dragon Boat Festival moves between late May and June.
- Mid-Autumn Festival usually falls during September or early October.
Qingming is the main exception because it’s based on a solar term rather than a lunar month, so it remains close to April 5 each year.
If you’d like to understand how lunar months, leap months, zodiac years, and solar terms work together, read our guide to How the Chinese Calendar Works.
Keep Chinese holidays together with the dates that matter most
Remembering important celebrations is easier when everything is in one place. With CultureSync, you can create a printable calendar that includes:
- Chinese holidays
- Gregorian dates
- Birthdays
- Family anniversaries
- School events
- Personal reminders
Choose only the holidays you celebrate, customize the design, and download a print-ready PDF that’s made for your family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, the first day of the Year of the Horse. Celebrations traditionally run through the Lantern Festival on March 3, 2026.
Saturday, February 6, 2027, beginning the Year of the Goat.
Friday, September 25, 2026, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, at the full moon. In 2027 it falls on September 15.
2026 is the Year of the Horse (a Fire Horse year), beginning February 17, 2026 and ending February 5, 2027. Before February 17, it is still the Year of the Snake.
Most festivals follow the lunisolar calendar, whose months track the moon and drift against the Gregorian year. Qingming follows the sun instead and stays around April 4-6.
Create your personalized Chinese holiday calendar
Bring Chinese holidays together with birthdays, anniversaries, school events, and the dates your family celebrates.
Choose the holidays you want, personalize the design, and download a printable calendar you’ll enjoy using throughout the year.
More guides
- How the Chinese Calendar Works
- Chinese Holidays 2026-2027
- Chinese School Calendar for Educators
- How the Christian Calendar Works
- Christian Holidays 2026-2027
- Calendars for Christian Educators
- How the Gregorian Calendar Works
- US Federal Holidays 2026-2027
- Canadian Statutory Holidays 2026-2027
- School-Year Calendar for Educators
- How the Hebrew Calendar Works
- Jewish Holidays 2026-2027
- Calendars for Jewish Educators
- Classroom Observances Calendar
- Printable Calendar Guide