How To Embrace The Year Of The Dragon

We may have welcomed the New Year across the Western world, but the celebrations are still to come in Chinese culture (and many other East Asian countries) in the form of the Lunar New Year. The coming year is the Year of the Dragon, imbued with success, confidence and change. Here’s how to make the most of it.

What Does The Dragon Represent?

The only fictional creature among the 12 zodiac animals, the Dragon occupies a lofty status in Chinese culture, representing success and imperial power since antiquity, as well as authority, dignity, honour, success and luck. Chinese people regard themselves as descendants of the Chinese dragon, with emperors exclusively entitled ‘the dragon’.

If you were born in the Year of the Dragon in the past – that’s 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000 and 2012 – you are said to have inherited powerful characteristics such as confidence, ambition, leadership, innovation, and a willingness to take risks. For everyone, the Year of the Dragon is a time to embrace change and seize the opportunities that may present themselves, and this is especially true for people born in a Dragon year.

When Is The Year Of The Dragon?

In the Gregorian calendar, The Year of the Dragon will begin on 10 February 2024 and end on 28 January 2025. The dates of the Lunar Year vary each year, but the beginning always falls somewhere between 21 January and 20 February on the Gregorian calendar. Specifically, this year is the year of the Wood Dragon.

How To Embrace The Year Of The Dragon

Seize New Opportunities

The Year of the Dragon is bound up with potential, so it’s the right time to seize new opportunities, whether they present themselves naturally or you’re in hot pursuit of your goals. The year is associated with personal endeavours, meaning it’s prime time to tick things off your bucket list, take risks, pursue innovation and generally step out of your comfort zone, from taking on a new project to starting a new job. Just make sure these choices are aligned with your purpose and higher goals.

Embrace Change

From a personal to a societal level, the Year of the Dragon is seen as a harbinger of transformation. In short, change will happen: you just have to embrace it. Expect your old patterns to be challenged, making way for new paths driven by the Dragon’s energy.

Be Cautious With Money

While the Year of the Dragon is all about potential and opportunity, the fortunes are mixed regarding finance – especially for those born in a previous Dragon year. You might feel confident and lucky thanks to the Dragon’s energy – and while there will be new opportunities to increase wealth, especially across existing long-term investments – but approach new investments and speculative ventures with caution.

Embrace Lucky Numbers

1, 6 and 7 are the lucky numbers associated with the Year of the Dragon. Incorporate these numbers into your life in the form of PIN codes, passwords, dates for important events, choosing a new phone number, playing games, or making investments. The numbers 3 and 8 however are unlucky and should be avoided.

Incorporate Lucky Colours

The lucky colours for the Year of the Dragon in 2024 are gold and green, which can be incorporated into your outfits and jewellery, for example, or if you’re looking to refresh your home, give it a fresh lick of paint in one of these colours. Red tones, meanwhile, will boost your luck and authority.

What Else?

As well as an animal, a lucky direction is also associated with the Chinese zodiac. For the Year of the Dragon, the lucky directions are East, North and South, while Northwest is unlucky. Point your desk or sofa, pick your new flat or build a house based on these directions.

The year is also either a Yin or Yang year (this time it’ll be Yang), and associated with one of the elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water (this time, it’s Wood). The sequence runs as follows:

• Years ending in 0: Yang Metal.
• Years ending in 1: Yin Metal.
• Years ending in 2: Yang Water.
• Years ending in 3: Yin Water.
• Years ending in 4: Yang Wood.
• Years ending in 5: Yin Wood.
• Years ending in 6: Yang Fire.
• Years ending in 7: Yin Fire.
• Years ending in 8: Yang Earth.
• Years ending in 9: Yin Earth.

Yin years draw on earth, femaleness, darkness and absorption, while Yang years draw on maleness, light and activity.