Lunar New Year vs Lichun 农历年 vs 立春
Nónglì Nián / Lì Chūn · Two different year boundaries, and why they disagree for a few days.
What it means
Two boundaries compete for the title of "when the zodiac year changes". Chinese New Year is the first day of the first lunar month and moves between 21 January and 20 February. Lichun is an astronomical instant near 4 February. Classical BaZi practice uses Lichun for the year pillar; popular calendars and most festival material use Chinese New Year.
Why it matters
The two can disagree by up to three weeks, and anyone born in the gap has two defensible answers. This is not a dispute that has a winner: the almanac has always used Lichun for chart work and the lunar date for festivals, and both conventions are correct within their own domain. The mistake is using one and not saying which.
| Year | Chinese New Year | Lichun (Beijing) | Someone born between the two dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 1982-01-25 | 1982-02-04 11:45 | Rooster by Lichun, Dog by New Year |
| 1984 | 1984-02-02 | 1984-02-04 23:18 | Pig by Lichun, Rat by New Year |
| 1987 | 1987-01-29 | 1987-02-04 16:51 | Tiger by Lichun, Rabbit by New Year |
| 1990 | 1990-01-27 | 1990-02-04 10:14 | Snake by Lichun, Horse by New Year |
| 1993 | 1993-01-23 | 1993-02-04 03:37 | Monkey by Lichun, Rooster by New Year |
| 1995 | 1995-01-31 | 1995-02-04 15:12 | Dog by Lichun, Pig by New Year |
Where this site uses it
Every page on this site states both dates for the year in question, and the calculator reports the sign under each convention when a birth date falls between them. The full year table also marks, for each year from 1900 to 2043, which of the two boundaries arrives first — the quickest way to see whether your own birthday sits inside a disputed window.