Chinese Almanac for Friday, January 2, 2026
On Friday, January 2, 2026 (day 14 of the 11th lunar month, 乙巳 year of the Snake), the Chinese almanac (Tong Shu) marks a 丙子 (Bing Zi) Establish (建) day on the yellow (auspicious) path of the Golden Coffer: good for travel, starting a new role, meeting friends and prayers and wishes, avoid breaking ground, opening storage and burials. The day clashes the Horse, with the sha direction South.
| Date | Friday, January 2, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Lunar date | day 14 of the 11th lunar month (冬月十四), a long (30-day) month |
| Four pillars (day) | Year 乙巳 · Month 戊子 · Day 丙子 |
| Day officer | Establish (建) |
| Day spirit | Golden Coffer (金匱), yellow path |
| Good for | Travel & business trips 出行, Start a new job or role 上任, See friends & family 會友, Prayers for blessing 祈福 · temple visit, a wish for the family |
| Avoid | Start building works 動土, Draw on savings · ship stock 開倉, Burial 安葬 · burial or interring ashes |
| Clash | Horse (午), sha South |
| Lucky hours | Zi 23:00–01:00, Chou 01:00–03:00, Mao 05:00–07:00, Shen 15:00–17:00, You 17:00–19:00 |
| Joy / Wealth / Fortune direction | Southwest / Southwest / Northwest |
| Color of the day | red (day stem 丙 is Huo, rising heat) |
| Lunar mansion | Ghost (gui, 鬼) |
| Solar term | Winter Solstice (冬至); next: Minor Cold on 2026-01-05 16:23 UTC+8 |
What the day is good for
Establish days favour starting out and showing up; heavy earth-moving is traditionally avoided. Because the day spirit is on the yellow path, the almanac keeps major events on the list.
- Good for: Travel & business trips 出行, Start a new job or role 上任, See friends & family 會友, Prayers for blessing 祈福 · temple visit, a wish for the family
- Avoid: Start building works 動土, Draw on savings · ship stock 開倉, Burial 安葬 · burial or interring ashes
- Peng Zu taboos: Bing day: do not repair the stove, or misfortune follows (丙不修灶必見災殃); Zi day: do not consult a diviner, or you invite trouble (子不問卜自惹禍殃)
City-life reading: Establish (jian, 建), the starting day
Scene: First-day energy: a new job, a project kick-off, the first class of term, a first coffee with someone new.
One thing to do today: Pick one thing you have been putting off and do only step one today: send the first email or book the first meeting.
Boundary: Traditionally no ground-breaking or opening the stores on Jian days: leave big renovations and dipping into savings for later.
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 2
Yellow-path hours are the traditional lucky hours. The Wu hour clashes the day branch and is marked to avoid.
| Hour | Time (UTC+8) | Spirit | Path | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zi 子 | 23:00–01:00 | Golden Coffer 金匱 | Yellow | Lucky hour |
| Chou 丑 | 01:00–03:00 | Heavenly Virtue 天德 | Yellow | Lucky hour |
| Yin 寅 | 03:00–05:00 | White Tiger 白虎 | Black | |
| Mao 卯 | 05:00–07:00 | Jade Hall 玉堂 | Yellow | Lucky hour |
| Chen 辰 | 07:00–09:00 | Heavenly Prison 天牢 | Black | |
| Si 巳 | 09:00–11:00 | Black Tortoise 玄武 | Black | |
| Wu 午 | 11:00–13:00 | Life Governor 司命 | Yellow | Clashes the day; avoid |
| Wei 未 | 13:00–15:00 | Hook 勾陳 | Black | |
| Shen 申 | 15:00–17:00 | Azure Dragon 青龍 | Yellow | Lucky hour |
| You 酉 | 17:00–19:00 | Bright Hall 明堂 | Yellow | Lucky hour |
| Xu 戌 | 19:00–21:00 | Heavenly Punishment 天刑 | Black | |
| Hai 亥 | 21:00–23:00 | Vermilion Bird 朱雀 | Black |
Zodiac signs today
Clash: people born in a year of the Horse traditionally keep big decisions for another day. Six harmony: the Ox pairs with today’s Zi branch. Three harmony: Dragon and Monkey. Minor friction (punishment or harm): Rabbit and Goat.
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.