The Lunar New Year will begin on 10 February in 2024 – this marks the start of the Year of the Wood Dragon

The Wood Dragon represents vision, growth, learning and moving forward. In practical terms, this may influence how individuals approach their personal and professional growth. It is a year of pushing boundaries, moving forward with purpose, and not fearing challenges.

As background, the Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle that links each year to an animal sign which are… Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The order of the animal signs is fixed, with the Dragon being the fifth in the cycle, hence the Year of the Dragon in 2024. Last year, 2023, was the Year of the Rabbit and 2025 will be the Year of the Snake.

Each year also corresponds to one of the five basic elements in Chinese cosmology, namely Metal, Wood, Water, Fire or Earth – creating a 60-year cycle. The universe is believed to be composed of the five elements that interact with each other in a cyclical way. These five elements are the fundamental building blocks of everything around us. The 60-year cycle is a combination of the 12 animal signs and the five elements. The understanding and application of the five elements is an essential aspect of Chinese astrology, cosmology, medicine, philosophy, and feng shui in particular.

The Chinese lunisolar calendar determines the specific animal and element associated with a particular year. The Year of the Dragon in 2024 is associated with the element of Wood. The combination of the animal sign (Dragon) and the element (Wood) designates the year as the Year of the Wood Dragon.