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Chinese Almanac

Every column in a Chinese almanac is derived from a specific rule rather than chosen freely. This page explains where each one comes from, and what the suitable and unsuitable lists actually meant in their original context.

Open the almanac

Stems, branches and the daily clash

The stem and branch of each day follow an unbroken sexagenary day count that runs independently of the year and month. It is one of the longest continuous counting systems in use.

The branch of the day corresponds to a zodiac animal, and the animal opposite it is the one said to clash on that day. A direction is also derived from the branch. Together these two are the most frequently consulted entries in the almanac.

The twelve day officers

Twelve officers rotate one per day in fixed order. Their starting point is tied to the month branch, so the cycle resets in relation to the month rather than running freely.

Each officer governs a category of activity and is one of the main sources of the suitable and unsuitable lists. A day governed by the officer associated with breaking, for instance, is traditionally treated as unsuitable for most undertakings.

The twenty-eight lunar mansions

Twenty-eight mansions rotate one per day, cycling every seven days in correspondence with the seven luminaries. The system originates in the division of the sky used for astronomical observation and was later absorbed into date selection.

As with the day officers, each mansion carries its own entries in classical date-selection literature, and the two systems are applied together.

What the activity lists mean

The suitable and unsuitable lists are compilations produced by generations of date-selection manuals from the rules above. They record how a given day was classified within a traditional system of custom and ritual scheduling.

The most complete edition of this system is an imperially commissioned Qing dynasty compilation, and most entries in a modern almanac can be traced back to it. These are records of cultural tradition and are not advice about any actual undertaking.

A worked example

How to use it

  1. Pick the date you want to look up
  2. Read the stem and branch, clash, day officer, lunar mansion and activity lists
  3. Move to the date selection tool when you need to filter by specific conditions

Open the almanac