2024: The Year of the Dragon

On this nostalgic Tuesday, I look back at my posting of 2012:  Kung Hee Fat Choy, which means Happy New Year.  I said:

This is the year of the dragon, which is the most favorable, luckiest and revered zodiac sign.  Dragons are confident, generous, colorful, gifted and operate on a grand scale.  Hmm...no wonder I am a dragon.  Both weddings and births will spike this year in the Orient.  We dragons, though, can be conceited, tactless, and solitary. 

The more I look at the above, the more it makes sense, for I can be conceited, tactless and solitary.  I also said:

There are, actually, ten different dragons.  Twelve years ago it was metal and in 2024 it will be wood.  This year?  The water dragon, something that won't happen again for 120 years.  The founders of Blue Revolution Hawaii have accepted the Blue Marine Dragon as our mascot.

I showed a photo of the fireworks at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore:

How old is China?  This posting mentioned above said:  In the Western world, this is the year 2012, representing years after the birth of Jesus Christ.  In China this could be the year 4710 or 4709 or 4649. 

Mind you, blogger Patrian Reminisci begs to disagree.  Read his posting on this subject.  John Grant Ross agrees.  Wrote You Don't Know China.

Well, Wikipedia indicates China has been inhabited from the Old Stone Age, or Paleolithic, which began 3.3 million years ago, and ended in 9701 BC, so it comes down to what is really a country.  Most sources do say China is almost 5,000 years old as a country, beginning in the Hwang Ho and Yangtze river basins.  In comparison, remember that the USA is only 247 years old.  Most say the New China started in 1911, when China had the Xinhai Revolution, resulting in the downfall of the Empire and formation of the People's Republic.  Then came the 1949 victory of Mao Zedong over Chiang Kai-Shek and the Kuomintang, when the People's Republic of China began.  

Here is the calendar of the Dragon year in 2024.

Chinese New Year 2024 will fall on Saturday, February 10.  In China, people will get 7 days off from work, beginning on February 7, to the 15th.  Same for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, although the days are slightly different.

If in China, avoid catching a train just before or early in the period, and, at the end.  While this was a long time ago, and things might have changed, I once had to catch a train from Hangzhou to Beijing because the weather made flying difficult.  It was a frightening, yet safe, experience.  It could have been worse if I tried this during the New Year period.

Note the Lantern Festival on February 24.  The official celebrations traditionally last for 16 days, beginning with the Eve and extending to this Festival.

• 9, New Year's Eve:  The most important celebration when families have a reunion and stay up until midnight.
• 10, New Year's Day:  A day for visiting/greeting family and relatives, including ancestor graves.
• 12, Day of the Rat:  An ominous day.  Stay home and rest with family.
• 13, Day of the Sheep:  Go to temples.
• 14, Break Five:  Taboos can be broken.
• 15, Day of the Horse:  Get rid of old, unwanted things.
• 16, Day of Mankind:  Spend time with nature.
• 17, Day of Grain:  Hope for good weather, and have mini-reunion dinner with family.
• 18, Providence of Health:  Give gifts, light incense, set off fireworks.  What not to give:

People who have started to earn money give money in red envelopes to children and the elderly.  Red for good luck.

Actually, red envelopes are given on any auspicious event.  The amount varies from $6 to $1000.  Avoid the number 4 or odd digit numerals.  

• 
  24, Lantern Festival:  Light lanterns and watch dragon dances.
• Began nearly 2000 years ago in interaction of China with Zoroastrianism, an Iranian religion.
• Fly red lanterns to bring good fortune.
• Eat sticky rice.

How to say Happy New Year in Chinese.  That was rather long, so, simply, how to say Happy New Year in Mandarin.  

About the future?

You would think that because this is my year, all should be wonderful.  That is not how the Chinese Zodiac predicts, for Dragons, Goats, Dogs, Oxes and Rabbits will face challenges in 2024, with the luckiest Zodiac signs being Monkeys, Roosters and Pigs.

To close, India passed China as the most populated country in April of this year.  They both have populations just over 1.4 billion.

• China became the most populated country in 221 BC when the Qin Dynasty unified the parts.  
• At that time, Alexander's Empire sort of had more people, although it was fragmented into four pieces.
• China fell back to the Roman Empire around the Year Zero, both around 60 million.
• China then remained the the most populated until this year.
• India is expected to continue growing to 1.7 billion in 2050, but China is predicted to dip to 1.3 billion.

Saw that Suntory Royal Limited Edition--Dragon was announced.  $300.  How can you resist?

• Captivating and mythical aroma.
• Sweet warmth of honeyed figs, reminiscent of an ancient dragon lair.
• Subtle smokiness, with a wisp of incense.
• Velvety caramel and toffee form the base, accompanied by a burst of tropical fruits.
• The dragon's breath emerges gently in a subtle peatiness, adding depth without overshadowing the intricate dance of sweet and smoky notes.
• The finish is a crescendo of complexity, and the final moments offer a harmonious blend of sweetness and distant echo of the dragon's fiery essence.

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