Chinese Zodiac: The Year of The Dragon (龙 Lóng)  1/23/2012
According to Chinese legend and folklore, the animals quarreled to see who should lead the Zodiac cycle.  To establish the order of the Chinese Zodiac, the gods decided to hold a race.   The animal that reached the opposite side of the river first would lead the Chinese Zodiac cycle; the rest of the animals would receive their position in the cycle according to their finish.  All the animals lined up on the bank of a river and were given the task of getting to the opposite bank.  The animals order in the Chinese Zodiac Calendar would be determined by the order in which they reached the other river bank.

The Race:
Being afraid of water, the cat contemplated how it would get across the river.  At the same time, the ox/buffalo was trying to figure out how it would cross with its poor eyesight.  The calculating rat suggested to the cat that they jump onto the ox's back and help guide him across.  Being steady and hard-working, the ox did not notice the commotion brewing on his back.  While crossing the river on the ox’s back, the rat snuck up behind the unsuspecting cat and pushed him into the river.  As the ox came ashore, the rat jumped off its back onto the bank and finished the race first.  And so the rat got the first year named after him, the ox got the second year, and so on; the lazy pig ended up as the last year in the cycle.  The cat finished too late to win any place in the Zodiac Calendar, and vowed to be the enemy of the rat forevermore.

The Twelve animals (十二生肖: shí'èr shēngxiào, or colloquially 十二屬相: shí'èr shǔxiàng) representing the twelve Earthly Branches are, in order, the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and pig (or boar).

As well as the twelve animal signs, Chinese astrology also incorporates five elements - metal, water, wood, fire, and earth - with each element combining with an animal symbol in sixty year cycles. Dragons born in 2012 will be a water dragon.

The Water Dragon 水龙 (2012)
Dragons symbolize such character traits as dominance and ambition. Dragons prefer to live by their own rules and if left on their own, are usually successful. They’re driven, unafraid of challenges, and willing to take risks. They’re passionate in all they do and they do things in grand fashion. Unfortunately, this passion and enthusiasm can leave Dragons feeling exhausted and interestingly, unfulfilled.

Water calms the Dragon’s fire. Water Dragons are able to see things from other points of view. They don’t have the need to always be right. Their decisions, if well-researched, are usually better since they allow other’s to become involved.

Famous Dragon People
Calista Flockhart, Colin Farrell, Courtney Cox, Courtney Love, Dinah Shore, Isabella Rossellini, Julia Ormond, Juliette Binoche, Reese Witherspoon, Roseanne Barr, Sandra Bullock, and Wynonna Judd.