A year either evenly divisible by 400 OR evenly divisible by 4 and not evenly divisible by 100. The calendar is synchronized with the solar year by the addition of extra months at fixed intervals. The Chinese calendar runs on a sexagenary cycle, i.e., a 60-year cycle. A new cycle will begin in 1996 and last until 2055.
Readers can find the animal name for the year of their birth, marriage, etc., in the same chart.
In Taiwan, in overseas Chinese communities, and in Vietnam, the lunar calendar is used only to se t the dates for traditional festivals, with the Gregorian system in general use. The day may fall, therefore, between Jan. 21 and Feb. 19 of the Gregorian calendar.