China's Lunar-Solar Calendar 2026 10-17

 Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs" 

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦

10/21....................................................................................................................................................10/14

This is one in a never-ending series—following the movements of the calendar—in Round and Square perpetuity. It is today's date in the Chinese lunar-solar (or "luni-solar" calendar; I call it the "lunar" calendar in order to distinguish it from the kinds of calendars most Westerners use. It has a basic translation and minimal interpretation. 

As for interpreting the translation, unless you have been studying calendars (and Chinese culture) for many years, you will likely find yourself asking "what does that mean?" I would caution that "it" doesn't "mean" any one thing (almost any "it" you will see). There are clusters of meaning, and they require patience, reflection, careful reading, and, well, a little bit of ethnographic fieldwork. The best place to start is the introduction to "Calendars and Almanacs" on this blog. I teach a semester-long course on this topic and, trust me, it takes a little bit of time to get used to the lunar calendar. Some of the material is readily accessible; some of it is impenetrable, even after many years. And do not assume that people from China understand the traditional calendar particularly well, either. I have encountered confusion and furrowed brows for countless items in the calendar. It can seem "remote," in other words, from the world we live in these days, and yet it is printed anew every single year.

As time goes on, I will link all of the sections to lengthy background essays. This will take a while. In the meantime, take a look, read the introduction, and think about all of the questions that emerge from even a quick look at the calendar. You will likely find that several of the translations seem quite "fanciful" in English. I am simply trying to convey that they also sound fairly fanciful in Chinese.                                                                                                   

                                                Section One

                                          Solar Calendar Date

                                                         (top to bottom, right to left)

十

七

六期星

Tenth Month, Seventeenth Day

Saturday, October 17

————

Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

進時

神德

Generational Branch

Exemplary Days

————

Section Three

Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left) 
申辰甲

吉凶凶

酉巳乙

中中吉

戌午寅

中凶吉

亥未卯

中吉中

23:00-1:00 Inauspicious

 01:00-03:00 Auspicious

 03:00-05:00 Auspicious

 05:00-07:00 In-Between

07:00-09:00 Inauspicious

  09:00-11:00 In-Between

11:00-13:00 Inauspicious

13:00-15:00 Auspicious

15:00-17:00 Auspicious

17:00-19:00 In-Between

19:00-21:00 In-Between

21:00-23:00 In-Between

————

Section Four 
Activities to Avoid  
(top-to-bottom; right to left)

出開

財倉

Opening Granaries

Capital Outflow

————

Section Five 
Cosmological Information

初

八

甲

子

金

地

滿

Eighth Day (Ninth Lunar Month)

Cyclical Day: jiazi (1/60)

Phase (element): Metal

"Constellation Personality: Foundation (3/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Fullness (3/12)

————

Section Six

Appropriate Activities

宜

拆

卸

掃

舎

灾歲

煞破

歸上

忌兀

Appropriate Activities

Unhitching and Unloading

Sweeping Rooms

Baleful Asterisms

(top down, starting on the right; two characters each)

Generational Destruction

Upper Amputee

Disastrous Balefulness

Return Taboo

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars 

(the Chinese is read from right to left; the English, however, "fits" below each character)

白 地

White, Earth

————

Section Eight

Miscellaneous Items

(the Chinese is read from right to left; the English,

however, "fits" intuitively in the configuration of characters)

占

碓 門

Divination

Pestle, Gate

China's Lunar-Solar Calendar 2026 10-16

 Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs" 

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦

10/21....................................................................................................................................................10/14

This is one in a never-ending series—following the movements of the calendar—in Round and Square perpetuity. It is today's date in the Chinese lunar-solar (or "luni-solar" calendar; I call it the "lunar" calendar in order to distinguish it from the kinds of calendars most Westerners use. It has a basic translation and minimal interpretation. 

As for interpreting the translation, unless you have been studying calendars (and Chinese culture) for many years, you will likely find yourself asking "what does that mean?" I would caution that "it" doesn't "mean" any one thing (almost any "it" you will see). There are clusters of meaning, and they require patience, reflection, careful reading, and, well, a little bit of ethnographic fieldwork. The best place to start is the introduction to "Calendars and Almanacs" on this blog. I teach a semester-long course on this topic and, trust me, it takes a little bit of time to get used to the lunar calendar. Some of the material is readily accessible; some of it is impenetrable, even after many years. And do not assume that people from China understand the traditional calendar particularly well, either. I have encountered confusion and furrowed brows for countless items in the calendar. It can seem "remote," in other words, from the world we live in these days, and yet it is printed anew every single year.

As time goes on, I will link all of the sections to lengthy background essays. This will take a while. In the meantime, take a look, read the introduction, and think about all of the questions that emerge from even a quick look at the calendar. You will likely find that several of the translations seem quite "fanciful" in English. I am simply trying to convey that they also sound fairly fanciful in Chinese.                                                                                                   

                                               Section One

                                          Solar Calendar Date

                                                        (top to bottom, right to left)

十

六

五期星

Tenth Month, Sixteenth Day

Friday, October 16

————

Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

德歲

日支

Generational Branch

Exemplary Days

————

Section Three

Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left) 
申辰甲

中凶凶

酉巳乙

中凶中

戌午寅

吉吉吉

亥未卯

吉凶吉

23:00-1:00 Inauspicious

 01:00-03:00 In-Between

 03:00-05:00 Auspicious

 05:00-07:00 Auspicious

07:00-09:00 Inauspicious

  09:00-11:00 Inauspicious

11:00-13:00 Auspicious

13:00-15:00 Auspicious

15:00-17:00 In-Between

17:00-19:00 In-Between

19:00-21:00 Auspicious

21:00-23:00 Auspicious

————

Section Four 
Activities to Avoid  
(top-to-bottom; right to left)

嫁詞

娶訟

Lawsuits and Litigation

Marriage Alliances

————

Section Five 
Cosmological Information

初

七

癸

亥

水

亢

除

Seventh Day (Ninth Lunar Month)

Cyclical Day: guihai (60/60)

Phase (element): Water

"Constellation Personality: Neck (2/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Discard (2/12)

————

Section Six

Appropriate Activities

宜

治祭

病祀

上會

樑友

安移

門居

作理

灶髮

重

日

土水

符痕

Appropriate Activities

Venerating Ancestors

Meeting Friends

Moving Households

Patterning Hair (Haircuts and Styling)

Treating Illness

Raising Beams

Positioning Gates

Stove Work

Doubled Days

Baleful Asterisms

(top down, starting on the right; two characters each)

Water Scar

Soil Charm

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars 

(the Chinese is read from right to left; the English, however, "fits" below each character)

白 林

White, Copse

————

Section Eight

Miscellaneous Items

(the Chinese is read from right to left; the English,

however, "fits" intuitively in the configuration of characters)

占

牀 房

Divination

Bed, Edifice

China's Lunar-Solar Calendar 2026 10-15

 Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "Calendars and Almanacs" 

⇦⇦⇦⇦⇦ From right to left: ⇦⇦⇦⇦

10/21....................................................................................................................................................10/14

This is one in a never-ending series—following the movements of the calendar—in Round and Square perpetuity. It is today's date in the Chinese lunar-solar (or "luni-solar" calendar; I call it the "lunar" calendar in order to distinguish it from the kinds of calendars most Westerners use. It has a basic translation and minimal interpretation. 

As for interpreting the translation, unless you have been studying calendars (and Chinese culture) for many years, you will likely find yourself asking "what does that mean?" I would caution that "it" doesn't "mean" any one thing (almost any "it" you will see). There are clusters of meaning, and they require patience, reflection, careful reading, and, well, a little bit of ethnographic fieldwork. The best place to start is the introduction to "Calendars and Almanacs" on this blog. I teach a semester-long course on this topic and, trust me, it takes a little bit of time to get used to the lunar calendar. Some of the material is readily accessible; some of it is impenetrable, even after many years. And do not assume that people from China understand the traditional calendar particularly well, either. I have encountered confusion and furrowed brows for countless items in the calendar. It can seem "remote," in other words, from the world we live in these days, and yet it is printed anew every single year.

As time goes on, I will link all of the sections to lengthy background essays. This will take a while. In the meantime, take a look, read the introduction, and think about all of the questions that emerge from even a quick look at the calendar. You will likely find that several of the translations seem quite "fanciful" in English. I am simply trying to convey that they also sound fairly fanciful in Chinese.                                                                                                   

                                           Section One

                                      Solar Calendar Date

                                                    (top to bottom, right to left)

十

五

四期星

Tenth Month, Fifteenth Day

Thursday, October 15

————

Section Two
Beneficent Stars 

(top to bottom, right to left)

官德歲

日合天

Four Facings

Maternal Granary

Heavenly Equinity

————

Section Three

Auspicious Hours
(top to bottom, right to left) 
申辰甲

凶凶凶

酉巳乙

中吉中

戌午寅

吉中吉

亥未卯

吉吉吉

23:00-1:00 Inauspicious

 01:00-03:00 In-Between

 03:00-05:00 Auspicious

 05:00-07:00 Auspicious

07:00-09:00 Inauspicious

  09:00-11:00 Auspicious

11:00-13:00 In-Between

13:00-15:00 Auspicious

15:00-17:00 Inauspicious

17:00-19:00 In-Between

19:00-21:00 Auspicious

21:00-23:00 Auspicious

————

Section Four 
Activities to Avoid  
(top-to-bottom; right to left)

動放開

土水渠

Opening Irrigation Sluices

Putting-into Water

Moving Soil

————

Section Five 
Cosmological Information

初

六

壬

戌

水

角

建

Sixth Day (Ninth Lunar Month)

Cyclical Day: renxu (59/60)

Phase (element): Water

"Constellation Personality: Horn (1/28)

"Day Personality" Cycle: Establish (1/12)

————

Section Six

Appropriate Activities

宜

上訂祭

樑婚祀

開納祈

倉采福

安移會

牀徙友

納醫出

畜病行

府土

三白小

喪虎時

Appropriate Activities

Venerating Ancestors

Inquiring-into Fortune

Meeting Friends

Going Out (and about)

Marriage Engagements

Grain Payments

Moving Residences

Physician Visits

Raising Beams

Opening Granaries

Positioning Beds

Livestock Payments

Soil Palace

Baleful Asterisms

(top down, starting on the right; two characters each)

Small Timeliness

White Tiger

Three Mournings

Section Seven
Inauspicious Stars 

(the Chinese is read from right to left; the English, however, "fits" below each character)

丫 天

Bifurcation, Heaven

————

Section Eight

Miscellaneous Items

(the Chinese is read from right to left; the English,

however, "fits" intuitively in the configuration of characters)

倉

栖 庫

Granary

Perch, Storehouse