Handy Guide: Why is it "Year of the Wood Dragon"?

Hey there, my international friends!

The most awaited annual festival in China, the Spring Festival, or the lunar New Year celebration, is right around the corner. And guess what? This year, the United Nations has added the lunar New Year to its list of floating holidays. If you're a newbie to celebrating the Spring Festival, worry not! I'm here to guide you from scratch, introducing you to some practical and fun customs. No matter where you are in the world, you'll be able to share the joy and blessings of this traditional Chinese festival.

This year's Spring Festival falls on February 10, and as February 9 concludes, we'll officially enter “Year of the Wood Dragon”. You might wonder, why celebrate the Spring Festival on this day? Why is it “Year of the Wood Dragon”? To understand that, let's explore China's lunar calendar.

The widely-used Gregorian calendar, based on the tropical year, has 365 days in a standard year and 366 in a leap year. In contrast, the Chinese lunar calendar follows the synodic month's cycle, with a regular year having 12 months totaling about 354 days. A leap year adds an extra month, making it 13 months and around 384 days. This explains why the New Year’s dates on the Chinese lunar calendar differ from those on the Gregorian calendar.

2024 is “Year of the Wood Dragon”, according to the traditional Chinese Stems-and-Branches calendar for chronological reckoning. The Stems-and-Branches calendar uses 10 heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches forming 60 units to record time. Each of the 10 heavenly stems corresponds to one of the five elements, and the 12 earthly branches correspond respectively to 12 such animals as Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, and Dragon.

Your zodiac sign is determined by the earthly branch of your birth year. Every 12 years, individuals experience their "Ben Ming Nian" or "Year of Birth Branch," indicating the reappearance of the branch from their birth year. I was born in a “Year of Fire Ox”. Can you guess my age? Feel free to calculate your Chinese zodiac sign!