Chinese Almanac for Thursday, January 1, 2026
On Thursday, January 1, 2026 (day 13 of the 11th lunar month, 乙巳 year of the Snake), the Chinese almanac (Tong Shu) marks a 乙亥 (Yi Hai) Close (閉) day on the black (inauspicious) path of the Vermilion Bird: good for repairs, avoid business openings, travel, weddings, moving in, signing contracts, starting a new role, breaking ground and renovation and building work. The day clashes the Snake, with the sha direction West.
| Date | Thursday, January 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Lunar date | day 13 of the 11th lunar month (冬月十三), a long (30-day) month |
| Four pillars (day) | Year 乙巳 · Month 戊子 · Day 乙亥 |
| Day officer | Close (閉) |
| Day spirit | Vermilion Bird (朱雀), black path |
| Day spirits | Year Breaker (sui po) (歲破) |
| Good for | Repairs & fixes 修補 |
| Avoid | Open a business or launch 開市, Travel & business trips 出行, Wedding or registering a marriage 嫁娶, Move into a new home 入宅, Sign a contract 簽約, Start a new job or role 上任, Start building works 動土, Renovate & build 修造 |
| Clash | Snake (巳), sha West |
| Lucky hours | Chou 01:00–03:00, Chen 07:00–09:00, Wu 11:00–13:00, Wei 13:00–15:00, Xu 19:00–21:00, Hai 21:00–23:00 |
| Joy / Wealth / Fortune direction | Northwest / Northeast / Southwest |
| Color of the day | green (day stem 乙 is Mu, growth) |
| Lunar mansion | Well (jing, 井) |
| Solar term | Winter Solstice (冬至); next: Minor Cold on 2026-01-05 16:23 UTC+8 |
What the day is good for
Close days favour storing, sealing and repairing; openings, travel and weddings are avoided. Because the day spirit is on the black path, major events such as weddings, openings and moving in are taken off the good-for list. The day branch also clashes the year branch (巳), a "year-breaker" day that many almanac users skip for big events.
- Good for: Repairs & fixes 修補
- Avoid: Open a business or launch 開市, Travel & business trips 出行, Wedding or registering a marriage 嫁娶, Move into a new home 入宅, Sign a contract 簽約, Start a new job or role 上任, Start building works 動土, Renovate & build 修造
- Peng Zu taboos: Yi day: do not plant, or a thousand saplings will not grow (乙不栽植千株不長); Hai day: do not hold a wedding, or it is unlucky for the groom (亥不嫁娶不利新郎)
City-life reading: Close (bi, 閉), the recharge day
Scene: Close-the-door day: set boundaries, mute notifications, put some money aside, mend small things, block private time in the calendar.
One thing to do today: Block a two-hour do-not-disturb slot in your calendar, or move some spare change into savings.
Boundary: Bi days keep rather than open: openings, travel, weddings and moving in traditionally go on another day.
Today's good-for / avoid list is adjusted by the day spirits; where it differs, the list above takes precedence. A city-life reading of the traditional almanac: cultural reference, not a prediction. What you do is still your call. All twelve day officers, city-life edition
Lucky hours on January 1
Yellow-path hours are the traditional lucky hours. The Si hour clashes the day branch and is marked to avoid.
| Hour | Time (UTC+8) | Spirit | Path | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zi 子 | 23:00–01:00 | White Tiger 白虎 | Black | |
| Chou 丑 | 01:00–03:00 | Jade Hall 玉堂 | Yellow | Lucky hour |
| Yin 寅 | 03:00–05:00 | Heavenly Prison 天牢 | Black | |
| Mao 卯 | 05:00–07:00 | Black Tortoise 玄武 | Black | |
| Chen 辰 | 07:00–09:00 | Life Governor 司命 | Yellow | Lucky hour |
| Si 巳 | 09:00–11:00 | Hook 勾陳 | Black | Clashes the day; avoid |
| Wu 午 | 11:00–13:00 | Azure Dragon 青龍 | Yellow | Lucky hour |
| Wei 未 | 13:00–15:00 | Bright Hall 明堂 | Yellow | Lucky hour |
| Shen 申 | 15:00–17:00 | Heavenly Punishment 天刑 | Black | |
| You 酉 | 17:00–19:00 | Vermilion Bird 朱雀 | Black | |
| Xu 戌 | 19:00–21:00 | Golden Coffer 金匱 | Yellow | Lucky hour |
| Hai 亥 | 21:00–23:00 | Heavenly Virtue 天德 | Yellow | Lucky hour |
Zodiac signs today
Clash: people born in a year of the Snake traditionally keep big decisions for another day. Six harmony: the Tiger pairs with today’s Hai branch. Three harmony: Rabbit and Goat. Minor friction (punishment or harm): Monkey.
Make it personal
The almanac is the same for everyone. Your own lucky color and best two hours depend on your chart: get them free in Daily Joss, or start with your Joss Profile. Planning something specific? Compare time windows with Joss Timing.
How these are computed: methods and what the Tong Shu is. Good-for and avoid lists start from the day officer and are adjusted by the main day spirits of the Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu (協紀辨方書); printed almanacs weigh more spirits and can differ.
Cultural tradition for reflection and planning only. Not medical, legal or financial advice; no date or hour can promise an outcome.