January 23 marks the start of the Year of the Black Dragon in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese astrology, an auspicious year which comes just once every 60 years. In these cultures, the dragon is considered a symbol of power, traditionally associated with royalty, and so the Year of the Dragon is considered a particularly influential year.

Across Asia, from Hong Kong to Seoul to Singapore, couples are changing their future plans in hopes of delivering a Dragon baby. According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, the country expects a 5% increase in births this year. Officials in Singapore say that they have seen rises of 10% or more in Dragon years. In fact, the spike in births can be felt even in the U.S., with hospitals in Queens reporting a rise in births last time the Year of the Dragon came around. Continue reading →