Solar Versus Lunar Calendars

• People from western cultures are used to measuring the days, months and years using the Earth's position in relation to the sun. The western calendar (also known as the Gregorian calendar), measures one year as the amount of time it takes for the earth to rotate around the sun. The year is divided into 365 days grouped into 12 months. A day reflects one full rotation of the earth on its axis. The months consist of 28 to 31 days each; depending on whether it is a leap year or not, a year will contain one extra day, giving the month of February 29 days instead of 28. A month reflects the revolution of the moon around the Earth.
  
  The Chinese calendar is based on lunar patterns. The months of the Chinese calendar are based on the moon, and each month begins with the new moon or the first crescent of the new moon. The Chinese calendar is a lunar-solar calendar (like Greek and Islamic calendars) because while its months are dependent on the moon, the calendar bases its year on the position of the Earth in relation to the sun. Thus, the number of days in a year and month vary.
  
  

Chinese New Year

• The starting point of the year varies each year in the Chinese calendar, which roughly matches that of the Gregorian calendar. The Chinese new year occurs with the new moon closest to the beginning of spring, usually falling between January 21 and February 21 --- hence the common reference to the Chinese new year celebration as the "spring festival."
  
  

How to Calculate the Chinese Calendar

• The Chinese new year falls on the new moon that is closest to the beginning of spring. This usually falls between January 21st and February 21st. The Chinese calendar measures the new moon in relation to China and not the Western world. Chinese new year will usually fall 11 days earlier than the previous year. However, once January 21, approaches, a general rule of thumb would be to leap 90 days later. The Chinese calendar doesn't have a continuous year count. Instead, the Chinese start counting from one again with each new emperor, making it somewhat difficult to predict animal signs of future years.
  
  

Differences Between Chinese and Western Astrology

• Chinese astrology focuses on year signs, giving the name of animals to each year sign. Chinese year signs have a cycle of 12 animals, consisting of the rat, the ox, the tiger, the hare, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the ram, the monkey, the rooster, the dog and the pig. Western astrology uses month signs based on the 12 divisions of the zodiac. The Western zodiac signs are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Chinese astrology also uses month signs, which have the same names as the year signs that do not correspond to western zodiac signs.