Like Lee, Stephanie Ho, 37, who is eight months pregnant with her second child, worries that her child will have to compete with more people at school.
Mr Ho, the teacher, said primary school students born in past Dragon Years, such as 1988, 2000 and 2012, usually had “at least one more class”.
The Chinese zodiac has a 12-year cycle and is represented by 12 animals: the Cub, the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Goat, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog, and the Pig.
“If every elementary school had one more class. [for those born in the dragon year], How many more babies are there? she said.
Social egg freezing: Can it contribute to improving Singapore’s sluggish birth rate?
Social egg freezing: Can it contribute to improving Singapore’s sluggish birth rate?
According to David Goh, a feng shui consultant and founder of feng shui consultancy Imperial Harvest, people born in the year of the Dragon have auspicious qualities.
“Regardless of their gender, baby dragons inherit auspicious traits deeply rooted in Feng Shui principles and embody a harmonious balance of strength, intelligence, and charisma, in all aspects of life. “It brings prosperity and success,” he said.
According to official statistics, Hong Kong’s birth rate increased by 5% in 2000, and China’s birth rate increased by 950,000 people in 2012.
According to official data, Singapore’s total fertility rate rose to 1.29 in 2012, the highest level in five years. The total fertility rate in 2000 rose little by little from 1.47 in 1999 to 1.6.
“Many Chinese families consider children born in the year of the Dragon to be particularly auspicious, and the dragon is a symbol of power, strength and good fortune,” he says.
“So now is the perfect time for young couples to add a ‘little dragon’ to their family.”
Australia joins Singapore, China and Japan to tackle aging challenges
Australia joins Singapore, China and Japan to tackle aging challenges
“Birth rates are declining all over the world, especially in developed countries like Singapore. Each generation has different aspirations. Many young people want to develop their careers or spend quality time with their partners. and pursuing other interests,” Lee said.
“Couples who want to have children may put off starting a family, not realizing how quickly it becomes difficult as the years go by.”
Brian Josal, 23, from Singapore, is among those hoping to own a “little dragon”.
Hosal, who is a baby dragon himself, said he wanted to have a baby this year because he grew up in a Chinese family that placed great emphasis on cultural beliefs and superstitions.
“I think it’s very cool to be a baby dragon. It’s the only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac and it should be a good year,” said the Indonesian-Chinese. “Being about 24 years older than your kids seems pretty good for being a cool, young parent. That’s an important factor for me too.”
But there is an irony in having a child in a year widely considered to be more auspicious, warns Tan Poh Lin, a senior researcher at the Institute for Policy Studies.
“Demographers have long believed that large birth cohorts are less likely than small birth cohorts because of increased competition for limited resources, from admissions and jobs to housing and desirable marriage partners. “We have hypothesized and observed that social and economic life prospects worsen,” she said.
“By trying to have babies at the same time based on superstition, parents inadvertently create coordination problems and are unlikely to produce the benefits they hope for in their children.”
Nevertheless, the rarity of auspicious events like the Year of the Dragon could still “upend the calculations” for couples already thinking of having children, Tan noted.
Pan Qingyi, 38, who is due to give birth to her second child next month, has no idea about the zodiac or astrology.
“I don’t think it’s all that important or different. When I hear a lot of people talk about their fortunes in the Year of the Dragon, I think, ‘Oh, this is going to be a good year.’ But actually, I’m really happy to have my second baby. ”