The Chinese Calendar

Hanzi MoonThe Chinese calendar is different from the Gregorian calendar and is used to mark seasons and holidays in China. The Chinese calendar is based on lunar and solar elements and is called the “agricultural calendar.”

In 2006, the Year of the Dog, New Year’s Day started on the Gregorian calendar day of January 29. In 2007, Chinese New Year it started on February 18 — it changes each year!

The Moon Festival (or Mid-Autumn Festival) is one of the biggest festivals of the year. In China, the Moon Festival is on October 6, 2006. In the USA, the Harvest Moon (when the moon is closest to the Earth) occurred in mid-September. During the Moon Festival, people have family reunions and eat special moon cakes. There are many interesting legends about this festival.