Dongzhi Festival 2026: Tuesday, December 22, 2026
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
2026
Tue, Dec 22, 2026
2027
Wed, Dec 22, 2027
Date rule
the day of the Winter Solstice solar term
Also called
Winter Solstice Festival
Dongzhi is the day of the Winter Solstice solar term, the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It is set by the sun, not the moon, so its Gregorian date barely moves. Because it is a solar term, the date can be a day earlier in the Americas; the dates here are China Standard Time.
Families gather for a meal: tangyuan, sweet rice balls, in southern China and among Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, and dumplings in northern China. In Hong Kong, celebrating it with a family dinner is called zou dung (做冬).
冬至 Dongzhi
Public holidays
- Macau: public holiday, though not one of the obligatory holidays that private employers must give.
- Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia: not a public holiday.
Exact holiday days are announced each year by each government; check the official holiday list for your place before you plan.
Dongzhi Festival dates, 2015 to 2040
| Year | Date | Day | Zodiac year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Dec 22, 2015 | Tuesday | Wood Goat |
| 2016 | Dec 21, 2016 | Wednesday | Fire Monkey |
| 2017 | Dec 22, 2017 | Friday | Fire Rooster |
| 2018 | Dec 22, 2018 | Saturday | Earth Dog |
| 2019 | Dec 22, 2019 | Sunday | Earth Pig |
| 2020 | Dec 21, 2020 | Monday | Metal Rat |
| 2021 | Dec 21, 2021 | Tuesday | Metal Ox |
| 2022 | Dec 22, 2022 | Thursday | Water Tiger |
| 2023 | Dec 22, 2023 | Friday | Water Rabbit |
| 2024 | Dec 21, 2024 | Saturday | Wood Dragon |
| 2025 | Dec 21, 2025 | Sunday | Wood Snake |
| 2026 | Dec 22, 2026 | Tuesday | Fire Horse |
| 2027 | Dec 22, 2027 | Wednesday | Fire Goat |
| 2028 | Dec 21, 2028 | Thursday | Earth Monkey |
| 2029 | Dec 21, 2029 | Friday | Earth Rooster |
| 2030 | Dec 22, 2030 | Sunday | Metal Dog |
| 2031 | Dec 22, 2031 | Monday | Metal Pig |
| 2032 | Dec 21, 2032 | Tuesday | Water Rat |
| 2033 | Dec 21, 2033 | Wednesday | Water Ox |
| 2034 | Dec 22, 2034 | Friday | Wood Tiger |
| 2035 | Dec 22, 2035 | Saturday | Wood Rabbit |
| 2036 | Dec 21, 2036 | Sunday | Fire Dragon |
| 2037 | Dec 21, 2037 | Monday | Fire Snake |
| 2038 | Dec 22, 2038 | Wednesday | Earth Horse |
| 2039 | Dec 22, 2039 | Thursday | Earth Goat |
| 2040 | Dec 21, 2040 | Friday | Metal Monkey |
FAQ
When is the Dongzhi Festival in 2026?
Tuesday, December 22, 2026: the day of the Winter Solstice solar term (December 21 or 22).
When is the Dongzhi Festival in 2027?
Wednesday, December 22, 2027.
Why does the date of the Dongzhi Festival change every year?
It follows the sun: it is the day the Sun reaches 270 degrees of ecliptic longitude (the Winter Solstice solar term). From 2015 to 2040 that is December 21 or 22 in China Standard Time.
Other festivals
Dates are China Standard Time (UTC+8), calculated and checked against the Hong Kong Observatory, Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table. Holiday notes describe usual practice; governments set the actual days.