8 Asians

This past Monday, January 23, 2012 marked the arrival of the Chinese/Vietnamese/Asian Pacific Lunar New Year, the Year of the Dragon. The new year brings with it some well-known and some not so well-known side effects. It’s already pretty common knowledge that the Year of the Dragon means more births in the Asian and Asian American community, as a child born in the Year of the Dragon is considered auspicious and will have good luck. On 8Asians, Jeff has already written about how being born in the Year of the Dragon may give the child an advantage.

But there’s probably a few side effects of the Year of the Dragon you might haven’t heard about yet.

For starters, in an effort to ensure a child born in the Year of the Dragon, more would-be parents are turning to fertility treatments to help them reach their goal. One U.S. based fertility clinic reported a 250% increase in customers after advertising in Chinese language newspapers compared with a year earlier. The big increase in babies (in Taiwan there were 202,000 more babies born in the last Year of the Dragon, 2000, than the year prior, 1999), is expected to bring about a big increase in the demand for baby goods, like diapers, strollers, high chairs, and baby seats.

In addition to babies, the Year of the Dragon also means an increase in matchmaking and weddings, and with that matchmaking services and weddings are expected to bring in big dollars this year. The same belief that the Year of the Dragon will bring good luck to these new couples and spouses is driving the uptick in demand for wedding dresses, specifically red hand stitched dresses embroidered with the dragon and the phoenix. The jump in weddings is also expected to push up demand for gold, as much as 70%, as it’s used in many of the presents given to the happy couple.

The Year of the Dragon is also expected to heat up the real estate market in British Columbia, Canada and in China, as many new and existing families try to buy a family home in an auspicious year.

And here’s one you probably haven’t heard of. The Year of the Dragon is expected to also increase sales of the dragonfish. The sales are helped by the fact, that it’s believed that dragonfish bring good luck, health, and happiness.

So as we enter the Lunar New Year, may you find health, wealth and happiness. And maybe you learned something new by reading this too.