TL;DR
The lunar Bodhi Day for the Chinese New Year (a lunar calendar) that starts on February 17, 2026 is: January 15, 2027
Asking Grok
Prompt for Grok:
We’re calculating the lunar bodhi day for the next Chinese new year starting February 17, 2026. It will be the 8th day of the 12th lunar month. here are the steps. Validate the next chinese new year is (feb 2026 some time). validate that it is a new moon. validate whether this is a leap lunar year. list the dates of the new moons until the 12th one of the lunar year. the 12th new moon of the chinese new year, that is the first day of the 12th month. then get the 8th day of the 12th month. base this on Bodh Gaya, India time (IST), which is where the historic Bodhi Day took place, because it can be different elsewhere on earth depending on what time the new moon arrives.
Grok’s Response
Validation
- Next Chinese New Year Date: Confirmed as February 17, 2026.
- New Moon Validation: Yes, the new moon occurs on February 17, 2026, at approximately 17:31 IST (Bodh Gaya, India time).
- Leap Lunar Year: No, the 2026 lunar year is not a leap year (it has 12 months, no additional leap month).
New Moon Dates for the Lunar Year (in IST)These are the dates of the new moons marking the start of each lunar month, calculated in Bodh Gaya IST. The first new moon is the start of the lunar year (Month 1), and the 12th is the start of Month 12.
| Month | New Moon Date (IST) | Approximate Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2026-02-17 | 17:31 |
| 2 | 2026-03-19 | 06:53 |
| 3 | 2026-04-17 | 17:21 |
| 4 | 2026-05-17 | 01:31 |
| 5 | 2026-06-15 | 08:24 |
| 6 | 2026-07-14 | 15:13 |
| 7 | 2026-08-12 | 23:06 |
| 8 | 2026-09-11 | 08:56 |
| 9 | 2026-10-10 | 21:20 |
| 10 | 2026-11-09 | 12:32 |
| 11 | 2026-12-09 | 06:21 |
| 12 | 2027-01-08 | 01:54 |
Lunar Bodhi Day Calculation
- The 12th new moon (start of the 12th lunar month) is on January 8, 2027.
- The 8th day of the 12th month is 7 days later: January 15, 2027.
Bodhi Day 