Happy New Year! This is the year of the dragon in the Chinese zodiac (though China starts its zodiac from January 29). The Chinese zodiac is represented by 12 animals, the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The dragon is the fifth and the only imaginal animal in the 12 zodiac animals. It seems that the inclusion of the dragon in the Chinese zodiac is rooted in Chinese mythology and cultural symbolism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_(zodiac); https://depts.washington.edu/triolive/quest/2007/TTQ07030/dragon.html;
Dragon Dharma doll by Arai Darumaya, Kofu, Yamanashi, 01/01/2024