Before looking at the complicated Chinese Calendar it is worth starting by taking a look at Calendars in general and then the familiar Western system.Before clocks and watches the only accurate way to measure time was astronomically.In the Chinese calendar, the days begin and end at midnight.The months begin on the day with the dark (new) moon.

Here, a new moon is the completely "black" moon (that is, when the moon is in conjunction with the sun), not the first visible crescent used in the Islamic and Hebrew calendars.The date of a new moon is the first day of a new month.Second, determine the dates when the sun’s longitude is a multiple of 30 degrees.It is used for traditional activities in China and overseas Chinese communities.It depicts and lists the dates of traditional Chinese holidays, and guides Chinese people in selecting the most auspicious days for weddings, funerals, moving, or beginning a business.In the past when most people lived on the land planting crops and raising stock seasonal variations were key.The best time to plant seed, harvest crops or move stock between pastures was on about the same day each year according to the sun.