The Year of the Wood Dragon

The Chinese New Year will begin this year on February 10—the year of the Wood Dragon. The first day of the Chinese New Year changes every year based on when the new moon appears between January 21 and February 20. The Chinese zodiac, or shengxiao—which translates to 'born resembling'—is represented by 12 zodiac animals. In order, they are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and the pig. Chinese zodiac years begin on the first day of the Chinese New Year and end the day before the next Chinese New Year. The astrology follows a 12-year cycle with each year represented by a zodiac animal, each with its own characteristics. The 2024 Year of the Dragon is starting on February 10 and will end on January 29, 2025. 2023 was the Year of the Rabbit, which started on January 22, 2023, and will be ending on February 9, 2024. The Year of the Dragon represents anyone born in 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 and of course, 2024. In Chinese culture, it is believed that individuals born in dragon years may possess courage, tenacity and intelligence and they often display confidence and enthusiasm. The dragon year symbolizes power, nobility, honor, luck and success. 2024 is forecasted to bring many new opportunities and changes, as well as some challenges. If you've had some strong feelings for a shift or a big life change, this year could be favorable for you. Every Chinese zodiac sign also has an element attached to it. There are five different elements: Gold (metal), Wood, Water, Fire or Earth. There are five different types of dragons, each with different characteristics. 2024 is the year of the Wood Dragon. Wood Dragon (1964, 2024) characteristics could include: introverted, less enthusiastic and lacking in good relationships. Fire Dragons (1916, 1976) are smart, easy going, agile and flexible. Earth Dragons (1928, 1988) are smart, ambitious and hardworking. Gold Dragons (1940, 2000) are natural and straightforward, talented and have a desire to be seen. Water Dragons (1952, 2012) are persevering, farsighted and vigorous. According to the Chinese horoscope, the luckiest zodiac signs in 2024 are monkeys, roosters, and pigs. Following closely behind are tigers, rabbits and snakes. If you're born in the Year of the Rat, Ox, Dragon, Horse, Goat or Dog, you might need to brace yourself for various challenges and make more effort than in 2023 to achieve your goals. What Chinese zodiac animal are you? Below is a list of signs and years. Keep in mind, if you were born in January or February, your sign may differ. There are many Chinese zodiac sign calculators available online if you would like to be precise. Rat: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 Ox: 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 Tiger: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 Rabbit: 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 Dragon: 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 Snake: 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 Horse: 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 Goat: 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 Monkey: 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 Rooster: 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 Dog: 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 Pig: 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031