Chinese Calendar 2019: Public Holidays and Festivals

Chinese Calendar is an important event planner which has information about the significant festivities and events observed in China. All the people around the globe celebrate various moments that add the spices of joy and happiness in their life. Like every other nation, China has its own reasons and occasions to celebrate. The Chinese Calendar 2019 encompasses all these events that are important for the Chinese. These Chinese festivals are an important part of Chinese Astrology and helpful in making predictions as well.

Here's is the list of important events and festivals according to the Chinese Calendar 2019

Overview

The Chinese Calendar is a Lunisolar Calendar. Chinese Calendar is divided into 12 months. The span of these months might vary from 29 to 30 days. Adjustments are made in the calendar to get it in sync with the solar year by adding extra months when needed. Chinese Calendar is arranged in a cycle of 60 years.

According to the Chinese Calendar, the days begin at midnight and end at midnight as well. The new moon marks the beginning of the new month.

Legend behind the Chinese Calendar

The concept of animal years came into existence when the Jade Emperor invited animals for alloting them years of the the Chinese Calendar. Also, it was said that the order in which the animals arrive for the Jade Emperor's party will decide the order of the animal years.

The cunning Rat climbed on the back of the Ox and jumped first, gaining the first position and giving second position to the Ox. The ferocious Tiger managed to be the second one to reach but got the third position because of the Rat’s trick. The fast Rabbit was overconfident and started at daybreak and napped during the journey, hence leading him to get the fourth place. To everyone's surprise, the Dragon arrived late. Upon being questioned by the Jade Emperor, he told that he stopped by a village suffering from drought to brought rain there. He earned the fifth position. It is believed that the Dragon arrived at the same time with the Snake but because of his comparatively small size, the Snake was noticed later, giving him the sixth position.

The Horse was afraid to pass a cemetery on his way to the party, which delayed his arrival. However, he compensated the delay by running at his fastest speed and got seventh place. The Goat and the Deer had to cross a river to get to the party. The Deer was scared and gave up, eliminating him from the Chinese Calendar while the Goat made it and earned the eighth place. The Monkey, Rooster, and Dog were in another country helping a God. The Jade Emperor gave them the position in the Zodiac in the order they met the God they were helping. The Pig was the last one to arrive at the party and got the twelfth place in the animal zodiac on which the Chinese Calendar is based.

Animal Years of the Chinese Calendar

Like the Zodiac Signs, the Chinese Calendar uses the 12 animals, which denote different years. It is believed that people born in the year of a respective animal have certain traits belonging the same animal. The years of the animals along with some of their important traits are given as follows:

• Year of the Rat: 1912, 1924, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008

Traits: People born during these years imbibe the traits of the Chinese Rat Zodiac and are clever beings. They make use of their skills to get the best of everything.

Men born during the Year of the Rat are cunning and adapt easily to tough situations, while women of the Rat year are quite conservative and love to live a quiet and peaceful life.

• Year of the Ox: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021

Traits: People born during the year of the Ox pick up the traits of the Chinese Ox and as a result, are hardworking, patient, and reliable. They work hard without complaining or asking for attention or appreciation. They are dependable and honest. They invest their whole being in whatever they do.

• Year of the Tiger: 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022

Traits: People born during the year of the Tiger are aggressive in nature. They are brave, courageous, adventurous, and ambitious. They are high on adrenaline and love to take risks. They demand freedom more than anything else.

• Year of the Rabbit: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023

Traits: They are kind and gentle, due to which some people perceive them to be weak, which is not the case. They are sensitive beings who get hurt easily. Politeness is the most remarkable trait of the men born during the Year of the Rabbit, while the women are social butterflies.

• Year of the Dragon: 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024

Traits: Wisdom and a charismatic aura are the birthrights of people born in the year of the Dragon. They are noble and possess a heart of gold.

• Year of the Snake: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025

Traits: Those who are born in the year of the Snake are smart and analytical in nature. They may act jealous at times. They are often distrusted by others, without a reason or a cause.

• Year of the Horse: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026

Traits: They are powerhouse of energy and goal-oriented. They are focussed and converge all their energy towards their aim. They are short tempered and forgetful.

• Year of the Sheep/Goat: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027

Traits: People born in the year of the Goat (also known as the year of the Sheep) are bestowed with the qualities of strength and resilience. They are hard working who make indefatigable efforts to make their dreams come true. They are gentle in nature and keen observers.

• Year of the Monkey: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016

Traits: They are energetic in nature and have a remarkable intelligence quotient. They are moody and can be arrogant at times. They are good at learning from their own experiences.

• Year of the Rooster: 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017

Traits: They are complex personalities, who put up a tough front but have a vulnerable core. They are logical and practical in nature.

• Year of the Dog: 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018

Traits: Their loyalty is what makes them stand out. They are the ones whom anyone can rely upon for advice, help, and support.

• Year of the Pig: 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

Traits: They are realistic beings. They enjoy their life and do well even in monotony. They are optimistic in nature.

Elements of Chinese Calendar

There are 5 elements that are an indispensable part of the Chinese Calendar. Each Chinese year has an element associated with it. These elements follow each other in a cycle. The combination of these 5 elements with the 12 Zodiac animals makes the Chinese Calendar cycle last for 60 years.

These five elements are given as follows:

• Wood
• Fire
• Earth
• Metal
• Water

The elements play an important role in determining the traits of the people born during the specified year.

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is celebrated on the second new moon after the winter solstice. The new year begins around the midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox. The Chinese New year generally falls between January 21 and February 19.

Year 2019 in the light of Chinese Calendar

Talking about 2019, the Chinese Year of the Dog will end on February 4, 2019 giving a kickstart to the Chinese Year of the Pig on February 5, 2019. This year will be the 4716th year of the Chinese Calendar. The pig is regarded to be connected to the earth and thus, this year may also be called Year of the Brown Pig. The Pig is the 12th animal of the Chinese Zodiac and the year 2019 will be the year of the female pig. Chinese Zodiac Element for the year 2019 will be Earth. The year of the Pig will mark an end to the cycle of Chinese Zodiac, giving rise to the next rotation cycle starting with the first zodiac animal - the Rat.

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