Happy Lunar New Year! 5 Things to Know About the Year of the Dragon

4. There are many ways to appropriately usher in the Lunar New Year, including joining the celebrations in San Francisco. This year’s parade — part of the most elaborate Chinese New Year party in the country — doesn’t happen until Feb. 24, but if you err on the superstitious side, there are plenty of ways to acknowledge the New Year before that. Here are three possibilities. First, be sure to clean your home more thoroughly than usual before Feb. 10 and avoid cleaning on the day. Second, keep your language positive, avoiding mention of dark subject matter. Third, wear a brand new outfit — or just a new item or two — to usher in good fortune for the rest of the year. (Red items are favored. Avoid black and white.) And, just for the sake of deliciousness, don’t forget the tangyuan soup!

5. Unsurprisingly, for those born in a dragon year (1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024) — already an energetic and powerful bunch — 2024 promises to be particularly auspicious. But for anyone who felt bogged down and frustrated by the soft and slow energy of the Year of the Rabbit for the last 12 months, the Dragon offers some relief. Where the Rabbit gently requested we all stop and take stock, the Dragon has no qualms about kicking you up the butt to get you sprinting back towards your goals.

Happy Lunar New Year, everybody! And nián nián yǒuyú.