Year of the Dragon: when it begins, how to celebrate it and how it will pass
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The symbol of 2024 according to the eastern calendar will be the Green Wooden Dragon. What traditions and beliefs are associated with it – in the Kommersant certificate.
When does the Year of the Dragon begin?
The Chinese horoscope is known to be based on the lunar cycle, in which each month begins with a new moon. Because of this, Asian New Year is celebrated later than in countries with the Gregorian calendar. The specific dates vary by year, but they always fall between January 21 and February 20—the second new moon after the winter solstice.
This time, the lunar year will begin on February 10, 2024 and end on January 28, 2025. The Chinese celebrate New Year for almost 15 days, but the first three days are considered the most important.
Who will become the symbol of 2024
The symbol of 2024 will be the Green Wooden Dragon. There are 12 signs in the Chinese horoscope. Among them, the Dragon comes fifth and is considered the only fictional animal. Sometimes, instead of a fairy-tale animal, realistic options are used: an eagle, a crocodile, a whale or a sea serpent. After the revolution in China, they demanded to permanently exclude the Dragon from the horoscope, since previously it was considered a symbol of imperial power. Pandas were suggested as a replacement. But for ordinary Chinese, revising the horoscope turned out to be too radical an initiative.
The Chinese believe that a person’s character and capabilities are closely related to the phase of the moon. Those born in the year of the Dragon are considered wise, strong and talented. By data According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, schoolchildren born in the Year of the Dragon are more likely to receive higher grades than their peers, and students are more likely to receive diplomas. Researchers believe that this effect is possible due to indoctrination in early childhood or the high faith of parents in children born in the Year of the Dragon.
As a result, in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and in countries where the Chinese community is large (for example, Singapore), on the eve of the Year of the Dragon the number of marriages traditionally increases, and the year itself sees a surge in the birth rate. According to media reports, almost 2% more children are born under this sign in China than in other years. According to official statistics in Hong Kong, in 2000 the number of births increased by 5% (it was the year of the Metal Dragon).
What will the Year of the Dragon be like?
In China they often say that the Dragon moves so fast that it is impossible to see its head and tail at the same time. Therefore, time under his auspices is often associated with changes and unexpected events, and what they will turn out to be, time will tell.
How to celebrate the Year of the Dragon
In China, on New Year’s Day they set off fireworks, perform a traditional dance with the head of a dragon, and give money to family and friends in red “ang pao” envelopes. The New Year’s table includes dumplings with a hidden coin, a cake made from glutinous rice flour (sometimes called sticky cake), as well as oranges and tangerines, the names of which in some dialects phonetically resemble the words “wealth” and “luck.”
In Chinese cuisine, there are also recipes with “dragon ingredients,” for example, “Dragon-Tiger Fight” (made from snake and cat meat) and “Swimming Dragon Flirts with the Phoenix” (seafood and chicken soup).
What to wear to celebrate the Year of the Dragon
Although the Green Dragon will be the symbol of the year, green is traditionally considered an unlucky color to ring in the New Year. The Chinese press recommends red, black, silver and gold outfits and accessories.
Who was born in the year of the Dragon
Over the past centuries, Dragons were born in 1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000 and 2012. By the last digit of the year you can determine which element they belong to: Metal (0 or 1), Water (2 or 3), Wood (4 or 5), Fire (6 or 7) and Earth (8 or 9).
In the year of the Dragon, politicians Deng Xiaoping (Wood Dragon), Vladimir Putin, Grigory Yavlinsky (Water Dragons), Ernesto Che Guevara (Earth Dragon), entrepreneur Jack Ma, philosophers Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche (Wooden Dragons), psychologist Sigmund Freud (Fire Dragon) were born. Dragon), artist Salvador Dali (Wooden Dragon), actors Sarah Bernhardt, Monica Bellucci, Russell Crowe (Wooden Dragons), Benedict Cumberbatch (Fire Dragon).
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