The year of the dragon is a lucky year to be born or married according to practitioners of Chinese astrology. Individuals born under this sign, which occurs in the zodiac once every twelve years are said to be blessed with unique qualities that bring good fortune and success. The reason individuals born in the year of the dragon are thought to be serendipitous is the characteristics of dragons are also bestowed on those born under this sign per the U.S. Bridal Guide. Moreover, in Chinese astrology qualities of the dragon such as grandness and magnanimity are also believed to be traits of persons born in dragon years.
Dragon years can see baby booms as high as five percent more births per Time magazine. In places like Hong Kong, that are exempt from China’s one child policy and have special education rights per BBC, dragon years only aggravate an already existing problem on the hospital and education systems. Moreover, native mothers of Hong Kong have expressed frustration with the dragon year baby boom according to Naharnet. One of their concerns is that the influx of mainland mothers leads to restriction of services that would otherwise be available to locals.
The belief that the Chinese year of the dragon is thought to be an auspicious year to give birth to children is rooted in its culture. Dragons are creatures that have permeated Chinese mythology for thousands of years, and are deeply embedded in traditional beliefs per Nine Dragon Baguazhang. Several types of dragon are depicted in ancient Chinese art and writings that describe their larger than life nature. Since the dragon is a symbol of divinity, and is the only sign in the Chinese zodiac that is a composite of other animals, those born in years of the dragon tend to reflect the mythology of the dragon in belief, if not in reality.
Five types of dragon signs exist depending on which year of the dragon an individual is born in. Any of the five dragons are preferable to have children in according to the majority of Hong Kong residents per Time. These dragons are water, wood, fire, earth and metal, and change every 60 years according to Chinese Zodiac. For example, 2012 is the year of the water dragon; and since a dragon year only occurs every 12 years and there are 5 dragons, the next water dragon year will not be until 2072. Furthermore, each element influences the personality of the dragon in a way that reflects the nature of that element. For instance, since water is mobile, and soothing it has a similar affect on the water dragon’s personality.
According to the New Straight Times, John Lennon, Vladmir Putin, Shirley Temple and Al Pacino are, or were born under the dragon sign. Bruce Lee, who was a successful martial artist and performer, was also born under the metal dragon sign in November, 1940. His character highlighted some notable traits of the dragon sign. For instance, metal dragons are believed to be self-guided, very driven, ambitious and confident in their pursuits, as was Bruce Lee. Individuals born under the dragon sign are most compatible with other dragons, monkeys, rats and roosters, and least compatible with oxes, rabbits, sheep and dogs. They also tend to have a sense of pride and are at times ostentatious.
