Happy New Year to all my Chinese and Asian friends!

龍 Dragon

The year of the Dragon, 5th in procession of 12 different zodiac animals, promises to bring power, wealth and protection!   It is said that it is a very  powerful year that amplifies both the good and the bad energy and we all have to be careful as to the energy we release  into the world.  It’s a time for change and change we see, especially, in the real estate market activity.

Traditionally people wear red, hang red lanterns and set off a lot of firecrackers. Why? Wikipedia helps us understand the Mythology behind the Chinese New Year:

According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian (Chinese: 年; pinyin: nián). Nian would come on the first day of New Year to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. One time, people saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the color red. Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again. The Nian was eventually captured by Hongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist monk. The Nian became Hongjun Laozu’s mount.

The home buyers are out in force and properties are selling like hot-cakes.  Is it the year of the Dragon, cheap money or just New Year resolutions?  Probably a bit of everything.  I hope that the year of the Dragon will be a transformational, life-changing year for all!