FortudayToday's Chinese Lunar Date & Tong Shu
Today's lunar date and almanac, worked out for your own time zone.
Time zone: America/New York
- Today, October 27, 2026, is the 9th month, day 18 in the Chinese calendar, a Wood Dog day in the Year of the Fire Horse.
- It clashes with people born in a Dragon year; bad luck lies north.
- The next solar term, Start of Winter, starts on Sat, Nov 7.
Here you can see the Chinese lunar date for the day you are viewing, along with the almanac's lists of good and bad activities and the zodiac animal that clashes with the day. Read the activity lists as the Tong Shu's traditional guidance, and use the table of double-hours to match a date to a time of day.
Today
9th month, day 18
Tue, October 27, 2026
- Year
- Fire Horse (丙午)
- Month and day
- Earth Dog month · Wood Dog day
- Good for
- Travel, building and repairs, raising the roof beam, roofing, installing doors and setting up a bed
- Avoid
- Opening storehouses, breaking ground, cutting trees and planting
- Clash
- Dragon (age 39)
- Lucky hours
- 7–9 am, 9–11 am and 3–5 pm
Next 7 days
| Date | Good for | Clash |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Oct 27Lunar 9/18 | Travel, building and repairs and raising the roof beam | Dragon |
| Wed, Oct 28Lunar 9/19 | Travel, clearing out and cutting trees | Snake |
| Thu, Oct 29Lunar 9/20 | Engagement gifts, engagements and opening a business | Horse |
| Fri, Oct 30Lunar 9/21 | Nothing major | Goat |
| Sat, Oct 31Lunar 9/22 | Pest control | Monkey |
| Sun, Nov 1Lunar 9/23 | Weddings, engagement gifts and engagements | Rooster |
| Mon, Nov 2Lunar 9/24 | Bathing and clearing out | Dog |
Upcoming Chinese festivals and solar terms
The next eight in the coming four months.
| Festival or term | Date | Lunar date |
|---|---|---|
| Start of Winter (solar term) | Nov 7Sat | 9th month, day 29 |
| Minor Snow (solar term) | Nov 22Sun | 10th month, day 14 |
| Major Snow (solar term) | Dec 7Mon | 10th month, day 29 |
| Winter Solstice (solar term) | Dec 22Tue | 11th month, day 14 |
| Minor Cold (solar term) | Jan 5Tue | 11th month, day 28 |
| Major Cold (solar term) | Jan 20Wed | 12th month, day 13 |
| Start of Spring (solar term) | Feb 4Thu | 12th month, day 28 |
| Chinese New Year's Eve | Feb 5Fri | 12th month, day 29 |
The 12 Chinese double-hours
The Chinese day is cut into twelve two-hour periods, each named for an earthly branch and an animal. The Zi hour starts at 11 pm the evening before.
| Double-hour | Time | Animal |
|---|---|---|
| Zi hour | 23:00–01:00 | Rat |
| Chou hour | 01:00–03:00 | Ox |
| Yin hour | 03:00–05:00 | Tiger |
| Mao hour | 05:00–07:00 | Rabbit |
| Chen hour | 07:00–09:00 | Dragon |
| Si hour | 09:00–11:00 | Snake |
| Wu hour | 11:00–13:00 | Horse |
| Wei hour | 13:00–15:00 | Goat |
| Shen hour | 15:00–17:00 | Monkey |
| You hour | 17:00–19:00 | Rooster |
| Xu hour | 19:00–21:00 | Dog |
| Hai hour | 21:00–23:00 | Pig |
Questions
What is today's Chinese date?
October 27, 2026 is the 9th month, day 18 in the Fire Horse year (丙午).
What is today good for?
The almanac lists travel, building and repairs, raising the roof beam, roofing, installing doors and setting up a bed. It says to avoid opening storehouses, breaking ground, cutting trees and planting.
What year is it in the Chinese calendar?
It is the Fire Horse year (丙午), the Year of the Horse. The year changes at Chinese New Year, not on January 1.
Is today a good day?
The almanac lists no major unlucky day for today. It marks the day good for travel, building and repairs, raising the roof beam and roofing.
What is the Chinese calendar?
A lunisolar calendar: months follow the Moon from new moon to new moon, and leap months are added so the year stays in step with the seasons. Years are named by a 60-year cycle of ten stems and twelve animals, and the year is divided into 24 solar terms.
Which zodiac sign clashes with today?
The Dragon. People born in that year usually skip big events today.
Why does the Chinese date depend on my time zone?
The date shown follows your own time zone, so the calendar day matches the day on your phone. The lunar date for that day comes from the Chinese calendar, which is calculated in China Standard Time (UTC+8). Near midnight, people in different places can therefore see different dates.
What is a double-hour in the Chinese calendar?
A double-hour is one of 12 two-hour periods that make up the Chinese day. Each one is named for an earthly branch and an animal, such as the Ox hour (Chou) from 01:00 to 03:00. The almanac gives lucky and unlucky readings by double-hour as well as by day.
When does the Rat hour start?
The Rat (Zi) double-hour runs from 23:00 to 01:00 and starts at 11 pm the evening before. That means the Chinese day begins an hour before midnight. The Ox hour follows it at 01:00.
What do the good and bad activities in the almanac mean?
They are the things the Tong Shu lists as suited or unsuited to a given day, such as moving, weddings, or starting a business. In tradition, a day is matched to an activity by its place in the calendar cycles. Sources differ on the details, so treat the lists as guidance rather than a rule.
How is the Chinese calendar different from the Gregorian calendar?
The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, so its months follow the Moon from new Moon to new Moon. Leap months are added to keep the year in step with the seasons. Years are named by a 60-year cycle of ten stems and twelve animals, and the year is divided into 24 solar terms.