what is my lunar age
Lunar age, often called "Chinese lunar age" or "virtual age," is a traditional East Asian way of reckoning age based on the Chinese lunar calendar, where you're considered 1 year old at birth and age up at Chinese New Year, not your birthday. Without your birth date (Gregorian or lunar), I can't calculate your exact lunar age today—February 7, 2026—but it's typically your solar age plus 1 or 2 years, depending on whether Chinese New Year (likely late January or early February this year) has passed since your birthday.
Quick Calculation Guide
Here's how lunar age works in practice, drawn from cultural norms:
- Core Formula : Lunar Age = (Current Lunar Year - Birth Lunar Year) + 1
* The "+1" counts time in the womb as year 1.
- Step-by-Step Process :
- Convert your Gregorian birth date to its Chinese lunar year (tools like converters on yourchineseastrology.com help).
2. Note the current lunar year (2026 is Year of the Horse, starting ~Jan 29).
3. Subtract and add 1. If today's date is before your lunar birthday this year, add another year.
- Example : Born March 5, 1990 (Gregorian)? Lunar birth year ~1990. Current lunar year 2026: 2026 - 1990 + 1 = 37. Adjust if needed for New Year timing.
Why Lunar Age Matters
In Chinese tradition, it's used for zodiac compatibility, feng shui, marriage matching, and festivals—not legal documents. For instance, a 30-year-old Westerner might be 31 or 32 in lunar terms, sparking fun debates in family gatherings or online forums about "feeling older."
Aspect| Solar (Western) Age| Lunar Age Difference
---|---|---
At Birth| 0 years| 1 year 13
New Year Timing| Ages on birthday| Ages at Chinese New Year 9
2026 Example (post-NY)| 35| Often 36 or 37 3
Other Lunar Ages?
- Hijri/Islamic : Roughly solar age × 1.027 (lunar year ~354 days).
- Pure Moon Cycles : Birth-to-now synodic months (~29.5 days) ÷ 12, but rare outside niche calculators.
TL;DR : Share your birth date for a precise number; otherwise, expect solar age +1-2.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.