The Lunar New Year, or as it is called, Spring Festival, is a time of celebration and renewal in Chinese culture and tradition. According to the Chinese zodiac calendar, each lunar year is marked by the transition of one animal sign to another. Today we enter the Year of the Dragon.
The Chinese tradition looks at the dragon as a majestic creature that symbolises bravery, creativity and innovation. According to the Chinese horoscope, 2024 is a year full of potential and opportunities for personal growth, professional success and social impact.
People born in the Year of the Dragon are considered charismatic, ambitious, adventurous, and fearless. They have confidence, independence and vision in life and are not afraid to follow their dreams and goals.
A year to follow your dreams
According to the Chinese zodiac calendar, the dragon is the strongest animal and represents health, wisdom, luck and prosperity. The dragon is also associated with one of the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal or water. Each element gives the dragon a different personality and destiny.
This Year of the Dragon falls under the element of wood and is called the Year of the Wood Dragon or ‘Jia Chen‘ (甲辰) in Chinese. The fixed element of the dragon (Chen) is the Earth ‘Wu‘ (戊), which represents stability, honesty and loyalty. The variable element of the dragon in 2024 is wood, or ‘Jia‘ (甲), which represents growth, creativity and flexibility.
The wood dragon is the most creative and visionary of the other dragons. Those born in this year are considered optimistic, ambitious, adventurous and like to explore new ideas while challenging themselves. They are also generous, show compassion and are considered loyal to their friends.
Therefore, the Year of the Dragon 2024 is expected to be a year of visionary leaders, innovators and problem solvers. 2024 is also predicted to be a great year to start new projects, explore new opportunities and create value for oneself and others.
“2024 is predicted to be a great year to start new projects, explore new opportunities and create value for oneself and others”
Some of the most promising sectors for business growth in the Dragon Year 2024 need to embrace new technologies and communicate their propositions effectively.
The Year of the Wood Dragon 2024 is special because it is a rare combination of the power of the dragon and the creativity of wood. It is a year of innovation, vision and growth. It’s a year to follow your dreams, express your ideas and expand your horizons. It is also a year to be generous, show compassion and be more loyal to your friends. According to the Chinese zodiac calendar, the next Year of the Wood Dragon will be 2084, which is 60 years from now.
The Chinese horoscope expects that the Year of the Wood Dragon will bring unique opportunities and challenges for each of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac.
An invitation to be more generous
The professor of folklore and Chinese culture at the University of San Francisco in the US, Jonathan H. X. Lee, said: “I am seeing this year of the Wood Dragon as a year of unlimited potential in terms of prosperity. In the long run, it could also be the year in which a major conflict can be resolved, if people can focus on empathy.” He also said: “If we continue with our tribal thinking and our selfish thinking, we will not get it.”
With the wars going on around the world, it is important to approach the discussion “in good faith”, Lee said.
According to Chinese folklore, the dragon was one of 12 animals that raced towards the Jade Emperor in a competition to determine the order of the zodiac signs. While he was flying up, he noticed that the rabbit, a poor swimmer, was stuck in the middle of a river. The dragon could have easily flown right over the rabbit and crossed the finish line, but instead, the dragon blew out a very powerful breath that carried the rabbit to the shore. Then the dragon came after the rabbit.
That is why this year of the dragon is an invitation to be more generous with and show solidarity to others, just as the dragon did with the rabbit.
Celebratory food
There are several foods that the Chinese eat during the Chinese New Year festivities, in the belief that they bring good luck.
They like to eat dumplings as they symbolise comfort, hope and prosperity. Whole fish is also eaten at most meals during the length of the festival and also long noodles as they symbolise long life.
The students of the Science China Corner at Saint Margaret College Verdala Secondary School, in Cospicua, Malta together with the founder teacher, Martin Azzopardi, sdc wish a Happy New Year of the Wooden Dragon to everyone, especially to all the Chinese people who live and work in Malta.
Students Kyle Mifsud and Luke Bonnici wrote this article with the help of Azzopardi, sdc.
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