Reopening after Chinese New Year 2027: how the almanac picks the days
By MingPan ·
In short
- From Day 2 to Day 15 of the New Year (7 February 2027 to 20 February 2027), the almanac lists 2 days as good for opening a business and not also to avoid:
- Monday 8 February 2027: Day 3 of the New Year, which clashes with the Rat (鼠).
- Sunday 14 February 2027: Day 9 of the New Year, which clashes with the Horse (马).
- 5 days in the same stretch say to avoid opening, Day 5 among them.
- A lucky “yellow-path” day is not the same as an opening day. The two often disagree.
What the almanac says about a day
The almanac (Tung Shing, 通书, also called the Huang Li, 黄历) gives every day several things at once:
- Its pillar: a stem and branch, such as Earth Horse day (Wu Wu, 戊午). The branch is an animal, and the animal opposite it is the one the day “clashes” with.
- A day officer, one of twelve (Jian Chu, 建除) that run in turn: Establish, Remove, Full, Balance, Stable, Initiate, Destruction, Danger, Success, Receive, Open, Close.
- A spirit, one of twelve that make the day yellow-path (黄道, lucky) or black-path (黑道, unlucky).
- Two lists: what the day is good for (Yi, 宜) and what to avoid (Ji, 忌). Opening a business is Kai Shi (开市).
An opening day, on this site, is one whose good-for list has Kai Shi and whose avoid list does not.
Why a lucky day can be the wrong day
People often ask for a “yellow-path day” (Huang Dao Ri, 黄道日) and stop there. But the spirit and the lists are worked out separately, and in 2027 they pull apart. Monday 8 February 2027 is a black-path day under the White Tiger (白虎), yet its list gives it for opening. Tuesday 9 February 2027 is a yellow-path day under the Jade Hall (玉堂), and its list says to avoid opening. If you are choosing a day for one purpose, read the list for that purpose.
Day 5, and other customs
Many shops reopen on the fifth day (Chu Wu, 初五), the day linked to welcoming the God of Wealth, or after Day 7. That is custom, and it is the family’s or the shop’s own. In 2027 Day 5 falls on Wednesday 10 February 2027, a Destruction day (破), and the almanac’s list says to avoid opening on it. Neither one is wrong; they are different reasons for choosing.
The clash
Each day clashes with one animal, the one opposite its branch. Some people born in that animal’s years avoid it for anything important; for a shop, some go by the owner’s sign. In 2027 the two opening days clash with the Rat (鼠) and the Horse (马). If that is you, the full list of opening days for 2027 has later ones, each with its clash.
Where the lists come from
Honestly: not from a classic we can quote. The readings on this site quote a named text, and where something does not, we say so. The good-for and avoid lists come from the open-source lunar calendar library (6tail), whose author built them from a popular Chinese calendar website’s data. Printed almanacs differ from one another on these lists, so a temple’s almanac may disagree with ours on a day or two. The pillar, officer, spirit and clash are calculated by fixed rules that almanacs share.
Day 2 to Day 15, all of it
Show the table
| Date | Day | Day pillar | Day officer | Spirit | Clashes | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 7 Feb | Day 2 | Fire Snake (丁巳) | Balance (平) | Heavenly Virtue, yellow | Pig (猪) | — |
| Mon 8 Feb | Day 3 | Earth Horse (戊午) | Stable (定) | White Tiger, black | Rat (鼠) | good |
| Tue 9 Feb | Day 4 | Earth Goat (己未) | Initiate (执) | Jade Hall, yellow | Ox (牛) | avoid |
| Wed 10 Feb | Day 5 | Metal Monkey (庚申) | Destruction (破) | Heavenly Prison, black | Tiger (虎) | avoid |
| Thu 11 Feb | Day 6 | Metal Rooster (辛酉) | Danger (危) | Black Tortoise, black | Rabbit (兔) | avoid |
| Fri 12 Feb | Day 7 | Water Dog (壬戌) | Success (成) | Keeper of Fate, yellow | Dragon (龙) | — |
| Sat 13 Feb | Day 8 | Water Pig (癸亥) | Receive (收) | Hook Array, black | Snake (蛇) | avoid |
| Sun 14 Feb | Day 9 | Wood Rat (甲子) | Open (开) | Green Dragon, yellow | Horse (马) | good |
| Mon 15 Feb | Day 10 | Wood Ox (乙丑) | Close (闭) | Bright Hall, yellow | Goat (羊) | — |
| Tue 16 Feb | Day 11 | Fire Tiger (丙寅) | Establish (建) | Heavenly Punishment, black | Monkey (猴) | — |
| Wed 17 Feb | Day 12 | Fire Rabbit (丁卯) | Remove (除) | Vermilion Bird, black | Rooster (鸡) | — |
| Thu 18 Feb | Day 13 | Earth Dragon (戊辰) | Full (满) | Golden Casket, yellow | Dog (狗) | avoid |
| Fri 19 Feb | Day 14 | Earth Snake (己巳) | Balance (平) | Heavenly Virtue, yellow | Pig (猪) | — |
| Sat 20 Feb | Day 15 | Metal Horse (庚午) | Stable (定) | White Tiger, black | Rat (鼠) | — |
The Chinese New Year 2027 page has these days with the rest of the holiday, and a calendar file to add them to your phone.
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