2024: a Year of Green Wooden Dragon
Plant Horoscope > 2024 Year of Dragon
Parts of Asia, including Chine and Vietnam, are celebrating the Lunar New Year of the Dragon, which falls on February 10. Vietnam and neighboring China share 10 of the zodiac calendar's 12 signs: the rat, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The Vietnamese traditional Tet market in Hanoi is covered in hues of red and gold, colors that represent good luck and fortune. One of the most significant plants is the golden-flowered Vietnamese Mickey Mouse Plant, or Hoa Mai Ochna. But there are several other plants associated with the Lunar New year, as well as Dragon Year. Learn more below...
By Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats
What is the significance of the year 2024 according to the Eastern calendar?
According to the Eastern calendar, 2024 is the Year of the Green Wooden Dragon, commencing on February 10th, 2024 (Chinese New Year) and concluding on January 28th, 2025 (Chinese New Year's Eve). Each year in the Eastern horoscope is associated with one of five elements: gold, water, wood, fire, or earth, and the cycle repeats every 60 years. The last Year of the Wooden Dragon was in 1964, and in Chinese tradition, wood symbolizes growth, success, and development, with Wooden Dragon Energy traditionally represented by the color green.
In Chinese culture, the dragon holds significant symbolism, representing positive qualities such as power, strength, good luck, and wisdom. The Chinese dragon is considered a celestial and divine creature, capAable of controlling natural elements like wind and water, influencing weather and crops, and bringing prosperity to the world. It is also regarded as a powerful mascot, with ancient Chinese beliefs considering the majestic dragon as the ancestor of the emperors of the Celestial Empire.
Why is the Dragon the fifth sign in the zodiacal calendar?
The dragon is the fifth of the twelve Chinese (Eastern) horoscope animals and the only mythical creature among the zodiac signs. In a legend, the Jade Emperor organized a race among the animals to determine the order of the zodiac signs. Despite the Dragon's strength and might, it placed fifth, as it selflessly helped villages suffering from drought and flood, prioritizing the well-being of others.
What does the Dragon symbolize as the year's sign?
The dragon embodies both good and evil, sometimes blamed for natural disasters like tides, floods, and severe storms. Unlike the Rabbit, which symbolizes family values and tranquility, the Dragon is ambitious, power-hungry, bright, and wise. The Year of the Dragon is anticipated to bring auspicious opportunities and exciting advancements, especially for those born under this sign, known for their innovative thinking and inquisitive nature.
What are the Green Wooden Dragon's favorite colors?
In Chinese astrology, each zodiac sign is associated with a lucky color believed to impact prosperity and fortune. For the Year of the Dragon in 2024, the auspicious colors are gold, representing success, wealth, and honor; yellow, symbolizing wealth, solidity, and stability; and blue, representing youth, freshness, vitality, and wisdom.
Green is also emphasized, and for the Green Wooden Dragon, green plants such as trees, shrubs, and woody vines serve as the best mascots, ensuring a prosperous year.
What are Dragon's lucky plants?
Notably, the Green Wooden Dragon has specific favorite plants, including all species of Dracena, Pitaya or Dragon fruits, Lychee or First Dragon’s Eye (Litchi sinensis), Longan or Second Dragon’s Eye (Euphoria longana), Creeping Philodendrons, and the Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata).
Golden Rain Tree - crucial for Dragons
According to ancient Chinese manuscripts, the Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) is crucial for Dragons, as it is believed to be connected to their existence, guarding and complementing each other. Growing these plants is considered auspicious and is believed to safeguard the Dragon family.
So let's grow up these unusual trees and all other green mascots of the Green Wooden Dragon!
