The Year of the DragonThe Chinese CalendarThe Chinese calendar is lunar based. Depending on the lunar cycle the Chinese New Year falls somewhere between late January and early February.The Chinese calendar allocates years in a 60-year cycle. Each year is represented by one of twelve animals which cycle round. Each group of twelve animals years is also associated with one of five elements. This combination of twelve animals repeated five times gives us the cycle of sixty years.
The elements are:
The animals are: Thus we have a cycle that begins Wooden Rat, Wooden Ox, etc all the way to Wodden Pig, then Fire Rat up to Fire Pig and so on until Water Pig at which point the cycle begins again.
Chinese AstrologyAccording to Chinese astrology the year in which you were born has a significant impact on your character and fortune. Both the element and the animal are important, however it is the animal that most Westeners are familiar with.Dragons are considered lucky in Chinese culture and are also a symbol of royalty. Being born in the year of the dragon is thus auspicious. Dragons are considered to be intelligent and popular, often becoming leaders. They also tend to be individualists and can be eccentric.
Golden DragonsBecause every year is also associated with an element, once every sixty years we have the year of the metal dragon. Because metal has the same Chinese ideogram as gold, this is also known as the year of the Golden Dragon.Golden Dragons have all the qualities and advantages of normal dragons - but more so. Golden Dragons can change the course of history should they choose to do so. The most recent Golden Dragon year was 2000. There won't be another until 2060.
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