Lunar and Solar Calendar Converter

Lunar and Solar Calendar Converter: Core Features and Principles

Want to find the Gregorian date for the Spring Festival or convert your birthday from the solar calendar to the lunar calendar, but struggling with complex calculation rules? The Lunar and Solar Calendar Converter solves this pain point. It is a date conversion tool based on lunar astronomical algorithms and the Gregorian calendar, capable of accurately converting between the two. It outputs the corresponding lunar date (including Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, Chinese zodiac signs, and solar terms) or the solar date. Its core processing object is a "date"—a specific point in time (year, month, day) expressed according to different calendar rules.

Why Choose Our Lunar and Solar Calendar Converter?

• Supports Lunar Leap Month Input and Calculation: You can directly specify a leap month (e.g., "Leap Second Month"). It accurately handles the special leap rules in the lunar calendar to ensure precise date mappings.
• Provides Cultural Information like Stems, Branches, and Zodiac Signs: The conversion results display not only the date but also the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches of the lunar year (e.g., "Jiachen Year") and the zodiac sign, meeting the needs for traditional cultural inquiries.
• Intuitive Operation with a "Today" Shortcut: The interface provides independent year, month, and day selectors, along with a "Today" button. You can populate the current date with one click for quick conversion without manual input.

Tool Tutorial

1. Select Conversion Direction: The default is converting from the solar (Gregorian) calendar to the lunar calendar. If you need the reverse, please switch to the "Lunar to Solar" mode first.
2. Input the Date: Select the date you want to convert using the corresponding year, month, and day selectors. For lunar dates, the month selector will include leap month options (e.g., "Second Month" and "Leap Second Month").
3. View Results: Once selected, the results area will display the corresponding date in the other calendar in real-time, including detailed cultural information for the lunar calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How are lunar leap months handled?
A: The tool correctly processes lunar leap months. In "Lunar to Solar" mode, the month selector lists all months, including leap months (labeled as "Leap Month X"). Selecting a leap month date will yield the accurate solar date. Conversely, when converting from solar to lunar, if the solar date falls within a leap month period, the result will correctly display as a leap month.

Q: Can this tool convert dates before the year 1900?
A: Generally, no. This tool is based on modern lunar algorithm libraries, and its supported year range typically starts around 1900. For earlier historical dates, conversion results may be inaccurate or unsupported due to calendar changes and algorithm limitations.

Important Notes

Please note that the tool's calculation results are based on standard astronomical algorithms and are suitable for everyday inquiries. For scenarios requiring extremely high date precision, such as historical research or legal documents, we recommend cross-referencing authoritative historical chronologies. The tool does not process time (hours, minutes, seconds); it only converts dates. All calculations are performed locally in your browser, and your date data is not uploaded to any server, ensuring your privacy.

Technical Notes & Usage Suggestions

The Chinese lunar calendar is a lunisolar calendar. Its months are based on the synodic month (about 29.53 days), while its years are aligned with the tropical year (about 365.24 days) by adding leap months. Therefore, the mapping between the lunar and solar calendars is not a simple cycle. A typical use case is looking up the solar date for traditional holidays. For example, inputting the lunar date "Jiachen Year, 1st Month, 1st Day" will output the solar date "February 10, 2024" (Spring Festival). Conversely, inputting the solar date "June 10, 2024" will output the lunar date "Jiachen Year, 5th Month, 5th Day" (Dragon Boat Festival). Understanding this non-linear relationship helps you better utilize the conversion results for schedule planning or cultural research.