The Chinese calendar 2027 opens its new lunar year on Saturday 6 February 2027, the first day of the Fire Goat year 丁未 (Dīng Wèi), and runs to 25 January 2028. The year has twelve lunar months and no leap month, and the next lunar new year arrives on 26 January 2028. This page is a reference: the lunar month start dates, the 24 solar terms, and the main festival dates for 2027, all computed with a calendar library set to Malaysia time.
I keep this table on my desk every year. Clients ask me for a date, and the answer is almost always “it depends which calendar you mean”. The Chinese calendar is really two calendars working together, and understanding that makes every other date in this article easy to follow. For a day-by-day account of the festival fortnight itself, see my Chinese New Year 2027 guide.
How the Lunisolar Calendar Works
The traditional Chinese calendar is lunisolar 阴阳合历 (yīnyáng hélì). It follows the Moon for its months and the Sun for its seasons.
- Months follow the Moon. Each lunar month begins on the day of the new moon and lasts 29 or 30 days. Twelve of them add up to about 354 days, roughly eleven days short of a solar year.
- Seasons follow the Sun. The 24 solar terms 二十四节气 (èrshísì jiéqì) divide the sun’s path into 24 equal steps. They fall on almost the same Gregorian date every year, because they track the Earth’s orbit.
- A leap month closes the gap. Roughly every two to three years, a thirteenth month is added so the lunar months do not drift away from the seasons. The 2027 calendar has no leap month, which is why every month in the table below is a regular one.
Malaysia and China share the same time zone, UTC+8, so the dates for the new moon and the solar terms in this article are the same on both sides of the South China Sea. A calendar for another country can differ by a day when a new moon falls close to midnight.
Why Chinese New Year Moves Every Year
The lunar year is about eleven days shorter than the solar year, so the new year drifts earlier on the Gregorian calendar, until a leap month pushes it back. The result is that Chinese New Year always lands between roughly 21 January and 20 February. The date is usually the second new moon after the winter solstice, so it can be early or late depending on where the moon happens to fall.
In 2026, New Year’s Day was 17 February. In 2027 it falls on 6 February, and in 2028 on 26 January. Each of those lunar years has twelve months and no leap month, so every new year arrives about eleven days earlier than the last. For the Fire Goat year, the key dates are:
- Chinese New Year’s Eve: Friday 5 February 2027
- Chinese New Year’s Day: Saturday 6 February 2027
- Last day of the Goat year: 25 January 2028
- Chinese New Year 2028: Wednesday 26 January 2028
The Two New Years: Lichun and Chinese New Year
This is the point readers most often miss. The country celebrates the lunar new year on 6 February, but the BaZi and feng shui year turns two days earlier, at Lichun 立春 (Lìchūn), the Start of Spring. In 2027 that moment is Thursday 4 February at 09:46 Malaysia time.
The reason is simple. BaZi and the Flying Stars are built on the solar terms, which belong to the Sun’s calendar, while the lunar new year belongs to the Moon’s calendar. I explain who this affects, and what to do around it, in my Lichun 2027 guide. If you were born close to the boundary, the zodiac year on your birth certificate and the year in your BaZi chart might differ.
Lunar Months of 2027
Here is each lunar month with its first day on the Gregorian calendar, its length and its last day. The 12th month of the Horse year is included at the top, since it contains Chinese New Year’s Eve.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days | Last day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12th month (Horse year) | 8 Jan 2027 | 29 | 5 Feb 2027 |
| 1st month | 6 Feb 2027 | 30 | 7 Mar 2027 |
| 2nd month | 8 Mar 2027 | 30 | 6 Apr 2027 |
| 3rd month | 7 Apr 2027 | 29 | 5 May 2027 |
| 4th month | 6 May 2027 | 30 | 4 Jun 2027 |
| 5th month | 5 Jun 2027 | 29 | 3 Jul 2027 |
| 6th month | 4 Jul 2027 | 29 | 1 Aug 2027 |
| 7th month | 2 Aug 2027 | 30 | 31 Aug 2027 |
| 8th month | 1 Sep 2027 | 29 | 29 Sep 2027 |
| 9th month | 30 Sep 2027 | 29 | 28 Oct 2027 |
| 10th month | 29 Oct 2027 | 30 | 27 Nov 2027 |
| 11th month | 28 Nov 2027 | 30 | 27 Dec 2027 |
| 12th month | 28 Dec 2027 | 29 | 25 Jan 2028 |
A lunar date is written month first, then day. So “7/15” is the 15th day of the 7th month, and the table tells you that this falls on 16 August 2027.
The 24 Solar Terms in 2027
Each term below falls on the Gregorian date shown, in Malaysia time. The twelve terms typed 节 (jié) are the “month-opening” terms. These mark the start of each BaZi month, and Lichun opens the BaZi year. The other twelve are the 中气 (zhōngqì), or “mid-month” terms.
| Solar term | English | Date | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 小寒 Xiǎohán | Minor Cold | 5 Jan | 节 (month-opening) |
| 大寒 Dàhán | Major Cold | 20 Jan | 中气 (mid-month) |
| 立春 Lìchūn | Start of Spring | 4 Feb | 节 (month-opening) |
| 雨水 Yǔshuǐ | Rain Water | 19 Feb | 中气 (mid-month) |
| 惊蛰 Jīngzhé | Awakening of Insects | 6 Mar | 节 (month-opening) |
| 春分 Chūnfēn | Spring Equinox | 21 Mar | 中气 (mid-month) |
| 清明 Qīngmíng | Clear and Bright | 5 Apr | 节 (month-opening) |
| 谷雨 Gǔyǔ | Grain Rain | 20 Apr | 中气 (mid-month) |
| 立夏 Lìxià | Start of Summer | 6 May | 节 (month-opening) |
| 小满 Xiǎomǎn | Grain Buds | 21 May | 中气 (mid-month) |
| 芒种 Mángzhòng | Grain in Ear | 6 Jun | 节 (month-opening) |
| 夏至 Xiàzhì | Summer Solstice | 21 Jun | 中气 (mid-month) |
| 小暑 Xiǎoshǔ | Minor Heat | 7 Jul | 节 (month-opening) |
| 大暑 Dàshǔ | Major Heat | 23 Jul | 中气 (mid-month) |
| 立秋 Lìqiū | Start of Autumn | 8 Aug | 节 (month-opening) |
| 处暑 Chùshǔ | End of Heat | 23 Aug | 中气 (mid-month) |
| 白露 Báilù | White Dew | 8 Sep | 节 (month-opening) |
| 秋分 Qiūfēn | Autumn Equinox | 23 Sep | 中气 (mid-month) |
| 寒露 Hánlù | Cold Dew | 8 Oct | 节 (month-opening) |
| 霜降 Shuāngjiàng | Frost Descent | 23 Oct | 中气 (mid-month) |
| 立冬 Lìdōng | Start of Winter | 7 Nov | 节 (month-opening) |
| 小雪 Xiǎoxuě | Minor Snow | 22 Nov | 中气 (mid-month) |
| 大雪 Dàxuě | Major Snow | 7 Dec | 节 (month-opening) |
| 冬至 Dōngzhì | Winter Solstice | 22 Dec | 中气 (mid-month) |
Malaysia has no four seasons, but these terms still shape how the almanac and BaZi are read, and many families mark Qingming (5 April) by visiting ancestral graves and the Winter Solstice (22 December) by eating tangyuan. Customs vary by community, with Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka and Teochew households each keeping their own habits.
Key Festival Dates in 2027
The dates below come from the lunar calendar and are given for 2027. Please note that I am not listing public holidays here. Official holiday dates, replacement days and state-level differences are set by the government, so check the official gazette before you book leave.
| Festival | Lunar date | Gregorian date |
|---|---|---|
| Laba 腊八 (Làbā) | 12th month, day 8 | Fri 15 Jan 2027 |
| Kitchen God send-off 送灶 | 12th month, day 23 | Sat 30 Jan 2027 |
| Chinese New Year’s Eve 除夕 | 12th month, last day | Fri 5 Feb 2027 |
| Chinese New Year Day 1 初一 | 1st month, day 1 | Sat 6 Feb 2027 |
| Ren Ri 人日 | 1st month, day 7 | Fri 12 Feb 2027 |
| Tian Gong birthday 天公誕 | 1st month, day 9 | Sun 14 Feb 2027 |
| Chap Goh Meh 十五暝 | 1st month, day 15 | Sat 20 Feb 2027 |
| Qingming 清明 | Solar term | Mon 5 Apr 2027 |
| Dragon Boat 端午 | 5th month, day 5 | Wed 9 Jun 2027 |
| Hungry Ghost month begins 鬼月 | 7th month, day 1 | Mon 2 Aug 2027 |
| Qixi 七夕 | 7th month, day 7 | Sun 8 Aug 2027 |
| Ghost Festival 中元 | 7th month, day 15 | Mon 16 Aug 2027 |
| Mid-Autumn 中秋 | 8th month, day 15 | Wed 15 Sep 2027 |
| Nine Emperor Gods period begins | 9th month, day 1 | Thu 30 Sep 2027 |
| Chong Yang 重阳 | 9th month, day 9 | Fri 8 Oct 2027 |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 | Solar term | Wed 22 Dec 2027 |
| Chinese New Year 2028 | 1st month, day 1 | Wed 26 Jan 2028 |
A few notes on practice. The Hokkien Tian Gong prayers traditionally begin at midnight at the end of Day 8, so the offerings are set out on the night of Saturday 13 February going into Sunday 14 February. The Nine Emperor Gods observance runs for several days in many Malaysian temples, and the exact start of the ceremonies and the vegetarian period varies by temple, so confirm with yours. And for the festivals that follow the Hungry Ghost month, such as the Ghost Festival on 16 August, communities differ on the offerings and timing.
Using the Lunar Calendar With Your Gregorian Diary
Three habits make this calendar easy to live with.
- Write the lunar date next to the Gregorian date when you note a festival or a family memorial. A parent’s death anniversary is traditionally kept on the lunar date, which lands on a different Gregorian day each year.
- Check the solar term for BaZi and feng shui questions. For anything to do with your chart or the annual stars, the solar terms matter more than the lunar months. My feng shui 2027 forecast explains how that works for the home.
- Use an almanac for daily detail. The calendar gives you the date; the Tong Shu adds the day pillar, officer and clash animal. My Tong Shu 2027 guide shows how to read a daily entry.
Common Questions
Does 2027 have a leap month? No. The 2027 lunar calendar has twelve regular months, from 6 February 2027 to 25 January 2028.
Is the Chinese calendar the same as the lunar calendar? In everyday use, yes, but strictly the Chinese calendar is lunisolar. The months follow the Moon, and the year is held in line with the seasons by the solar terms and leap months. A purely lunar calendar, such as the Islamic one, has no such correction.
When does the Year of the Goat start? The lunar year starts on 6 February 2027. For BaZi and feng shui, the Goat year starts at Lichun on 4 February 2027 at 09:46 Malaysia time. Read my Year of the Goat 2027 predictions for what the year may bring.
Can I convert my birthday to a lunar date myself? Not reliably by hand. The conversion depends on the new moon times for your birth year, and edge cases near the new year need care. Use a trustworthy converter or ask me, and note your birth time if you want a BaZi chart as well.
Why do the dates of the Hungry Ghost Festival change each year? It is tied to the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, and that lunar month begins on a different Gregorian date every year. In 2027 it starts on 2 August, so the 15th day lands on 16 August.
Key Takeaways
- The 2027 lunar year runs from Saturday 6 February 2027 to 25 January 2028, with twelve months and no leap month. Chinese New Year 2028 falls on 26 January 2028.
- Lunar months begin on the new moon and last 29 or 30 days, while the 24 solar terms follow the Sun and hold the calendar in step with the seasons.
- The BaZi and feng shui year turns at Lichun, on 4 February 2027 at 09:46 Malaysia time, two days before Chinese New Year.
- Each BaZi month begins at one of twelve month-opening solar terms, so the lunar month and the BaZi month are not the same thing.
- Festival dates in this article come from the lunar calendar; check the official gazette for public holidays and replacement days, and your temple for ceremony timings.
- Write both the lunar and Gregorian date for anniversaries and festivals, since the Gregorian date shifts each year.
If you would like your family dates and your home read against the Fire Goat year, book a house Feng Shui consultation and I will walk through them with you.
