Calendars and time
Lunisolar Calendar
Direct answer
Lunisolar Calendar: A Lunisolar Calendar keeps months related to lunar phases while periodically adding time so the calendar year stays aligned with the seasons.
A Lunisolar Calendar coordinates lunar months with the solar seasonal year.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Calendars & Timekeeping
- Related
- Calendar, Solar Calendar, Lunar Calendar, Coordinated Universal Time
A Lunisolar Calendar coordinates lunar months with the solar seasonal year.
A cycle or timeline schematic for comparing the named timekeeping concept.
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The story behind Lunisolar Calendar
Many ancient and living calendars use cycles of inserted months or other adjustments to reconcile Moon and Sun.
Why Lunisolar Calendar matters
Lunisolar systems solve the mismatch between roughly twelve lunar months and one solar year through intercalation rules.
Lunisolar Calendar in practice: an example
A leap month can keep a spring festival from drifting steadily into winter or summer.
Where readings of Lunisolar Calendar go wrong
It is a mistake to reduce distinct lunisolar calendars to one universal method; their epochs, observations, and intercalations differ.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Introduction to Calendars - Calendar definitions and the astronomical basis of solar, lunar, lunisolar, Julian, and Gregorian systems.
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Astronomical Almanac Glossary - Reference definitions for astronomical coordinates, events, calendars, and time scales.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Calendars & Timekeeping
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
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More in Calendars & Timekeeping
- Reduced Julian Date
- Synodic Month
- Week Number
- Barycentric Dynamical Time
- Common Year
- Earth Rotation Angle
- Greenwich Sidereal Time
- Julian Century
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Common questions
What is a Lunisolar Calendar?
A Lunisolar Calendar keeps months related to lunar phases while periodically adding time so the calendar year stays aligned with the seasons.
What do people get wrong about a Lunisolar Calendar?
It is a mistake to reduce distinct lunisolar calendars to one universal method; their epochs, observations, and intercalations differ.
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