We’ve all heard the superstitions before – seeing each other before the ceremony, rain on a wedding day, carrying the bride over the threshold. While all rooted in various mythologies and traditions, these practices have more or less vanished in modern times, even being embraced rather than feared.

However, a common superstition that has endured the test of time is auspicious wedding dates. Basically, auspicious dates refer to any times of the year which are considered lucky. Depending on your culture, these dates can bear a heavy significance on your chosen wedding date.

Chinese Astrology and Auspicious Wedding Dates

In Chinese culture, choosing an auspicious wedding date is based on consulting the Chinese calendar or tong shu, the Chinese Almanac. Being able to choose a date is based on numerous factors, including incompatible Chinese zodiac signs, as well as an understanding of Chinese terminology.

For those who do not have a strong understanding of the calendar, or their families are not religious enough to advise, a Feng Shui master can also provide a list of auspicious wedding dates.

Via @liushishi__

When determining your own auspicious dates, factors like both person’s Chinese name, date of birth, and Chinese zodiac are required. Certain factors that come into play when choosing a date include not marrying in the year of the animal that conflicts with your zodiac animal – for example, those under the Dragon sign should avoid marrying in 2018 as it is the Year of the Dog.

Once the basics are determined, couples can look for a rough time period for when they would like to marry and from there begin the process of elimination of inauspicious dates. These dates are known as Breaker Days and should be avoided. Breaker Days include Personal Breaker Days, which are the days with are incompatible to a person’s zodiac; Year Breaker days, which are days that clash with the zodiac of the year; and Month Breaker Days, which are the days that are against the energies of the month.

Auspicious Dates For 2018 and 2019

If you’re planning a wedding for the end of the year (or any time soon) but want to know when the best time is, you’ll need to consult the Chinese calendar asap. June is generally considered an auspicious month as it is named after the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. Because of this, June 2018 has plenty of auspicious dates: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 14, 18, 20, 21, 22, 26, 29. August 2018 also has plenty to offer, with 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, 30, 31.

In contrast, December 2018 has the least amount of auspicious dates, with only 2, 14, 15, 23, 27. April 2019 and December 2019 will have the least amount of inauspicious dates, with 4, 11, 15, 23, 25, 30 and 5, 9, 10, 18, 22, 30, respectively.