Are you a dragon?
Click on your birth date for your Chinese zodiac animal
What kind of Dragon are you?
Chinese element theory assigns one of five elements – Gold
(Metal), Wood, Water, Fire, or Earth – to each sign of the zodiac.
This means that, for example, a Wood Dragon appears once every 60
years.
Significant events in the Years of the Dragon
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Lunar New Year calendar 2024
Lunar New Year celebrations traditionally last for 16 days, from
Lunar New Year’s Eve to the Lantern Festival. In mainland China,
the first eight days – from February 10 to 17 in 2024 – are public
holidays.
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
January
The most important celebration, includes the family reunion
dinner, and staying up until midnight
A day for visiting or greeting family and relatives, and giving
presents
Married women visit their parents with their husbands and
children
An ominous day, so it’s common to stay at home, rest with family
and play games
An auspicious day, for prayer and giving offerings, or going to
temples or fortune-tellers
Commonly accepted as the day when taboos (from previous days)
can be broken
God of Wealth’s Birthday
Believed to be the best day to get rid of old, unwanted things.
Also an acceptable day to resume wor
Believed to be the day people were created. It is good to spend
it outdoors in nature
Good weather on this day will herald good crops for the year.
Many families will have a second “mini” reunion dinner
A day on which people give offerings, light incense and set off
firecrackers
Jade Emperor’s birthday
Rituals similar to the previous day are performed
God of Stone’s birthday
Fathers are expected to “entertain” or treat their sons-in-law
on this day
Preparations for the Lantern Festival: cooking and making
lanterns
Lantern Day Preparations (3 days)
21 ~
23
Marks the end of Lunar New Year festivities. Lanterns are lit
and hung or flown, dragon dances take place in the streets and
children answer lantern riddles
Dragon children
The dragon is considered the most auspicious zodiac sign by many
Chinese people. According to popular belief, babies born in dragon
years possess remarkable qualities throughout their lives,
including cleverness, charm, eloquence, and even wealth.
The Year of the Dragon consistently sees the highest number of
births in the 12-year Chinese calendrical cycle. In 2000 and 2012,
birth rates in Hong Kong and mainland China both saw significant
increases.
Many famous people from various fields were born in dragon years,
further enhancing the belief in its auspicious nature.
Celebrities born in the Year of the Dragon
Best wishes for Dragon Year
Chinese New Year traditions
Wear red, not white
White symbolises death in Asian culture, so avoid giving white
flowers; try to wear a new outfit on Chinese New Year’s Day.
Red envelopes
Older people offer single children and young people red envelopes
known as hong bao (in Cantonese, lai see) on Chinese New
Year’s Day. It is usual not to give quantities that end in four
because the Chinese word for “four” sounds a lot like the term for
“death”.
Avoid cutting or washing hair
Cut and wash your hair in the week or so before Chinese New Year’s
Day, but avoid doing so on the actual day to avoid ruining or
sabotaging your luck. The same applies to scissors and knives;
never use them.
Avoid using a broom
In order to avoid sweeping out any good luck, you should clean
your house in advance rather than on Chinese New Year’s Day.
Open windows
In the days preceding Chinese New Year’s Day, let the bad luck out
and the good luck in.
Eat traditional food
During Chinese New Year, auspicious foods are consumed, including
dumplings (symbolising wealth), noodles (symbolising longevity),
fish (symbolising abundance), and fruit like oranges, tangelos,
and pomelos.