Happy New Year - Chinese Style

Today (Monday, January 23, 2012) is the Chinese New Year. 2012 is the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac. My dad sent me this beautiful dragon charm to commemorate it. He says that an old Chinese custom is to carry the charm in my purse all year for good luck. I've had the charms he's sent to me for the past few years on my purse, and no major catastrophes have befallen me, so maybe they work. Even if they don't, they look cool!

Here's some information he sent with the charm:

The Year of the Dragon 2012
01/23/2012 - 02/09/2013 (Water)

The year 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, which begins on January 23, 2012 and ends on February 9, 2013. The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend. In ancient China, the celestial Dragon represents en emperor and power. Today, it is the ultimate auspicious symbol signifying success and happiness. May the celestial Dragon bring great good luck to everyone.

If you'd like to learn more about the Chinese New Year, click on this link, or this one to see some photos from this year's celebrations around the world. Or Google it for yourself. And hey... why not join in the festivities by cooking up some Chinese dishes or grabbing some take-away?

Happy Chinese New Year!
Gong Xi Fa Ca!