The Bhutanese calendar was adapted from Tibetan Astronomical traditions, which in turn were influenced by the Chinese and Indian calendars. The calendar is based on the lunar system. A year has 360 days, with some days omitted to make it correspond with the waxing and waning of the moon. An extra short month is added to the 12 months every third year to adjust it to the solar calendar.
The year begins with losar, which normally falls in the Gregorian calendar months of February with the rise of the new moon. The months (Dawa) do not have names, an are simply called first, second, third and so on. A week is divided into seven days (Za). Years are named by combining the 12 animals of the zodiac with the five elements of fire, earth, iron, water and wood to produce a 60-year cycle.

The complete list of 60 years is as follows:

Years in Bhutanese Sexagenary cycle