People in the wedding business also expect brisk trade, as more couples try to tie the knot during this period. In Chinese mythology, the fire-breathing beast is associated with honor and good fortune. Of the 12 animal signs in the Chinese horoscope, it is the Dragon that best represents wealth. They believe that it means better times. For newlyweds, marriages sealed in the Dragon year promise to be lasting ones.
Parents expect their Dragon children to deliver luck and wealth.
Not surprisingly, the fearsome creature represents power too. The five-clawed Dragon was a symbol of the Chinese emperor and he had exclusive use of the image. So anyone who dressed in clothes woven with such a pattern in ancient China would be asking to be executed, says Yap. That's why Dragons featured in carvings, furniture or cloth meant for commoners usually had four claws or less. These days, entrepreneurs or executives who want to make a mark in industry might want to place a Dragon statuette on their desks, preferably a golden one, Yap suggests.