A lucky start: Hong Kong welcomes 6 ‘dragon babies’ on first day of Lunar New Year, with boy and girl born at the stroke of midnight
- Baby boy Miles, weighing 3.1kg, and a baby girl were both born at midnight on the first day of the auspicious Year of the Dragon
- ‘Everybody, not just us, was super excited … The doctors, the entire team, everybody was very excited,’ says Miles’ mother
Hong Kong has welcomed the arrival of at least six newborns on the first day of Lunar New Year, with a boy and a girl being the first “dragon babies” of 2024.
Miles, the second child of Kelvin and Judy Chan, was born at midnight, weighing 3.1kg (6.8 pounds), at the CUHK Medical Centre in Sha Tin.
His mother said she was surprised he was among the first “dragon babies” of the year as little Miles’ expected delivery date was next Saturday.
“We never planned it. It just so happened I started showing some symptoms yesterday,” the 36-year-old teacher said.
“It was so exciting, the whole energy. Everybody, not just us, was super excited … The doctors, the entire team, everybody was very excited.”
Businessman Kelvin Chan, also 36, said: “We don’t care about his zodiac sign, but it is a good omen to have him during the Lunar New Year holiday period. We hope he will be healthy.”
A baby girl was also born right at midnight at Saint Teresa’s Hospital in Kowloon City, weighing about 3.2kg.
The Chinese zodiac is a repeating 12-year cycle of the following animal signs: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
The dragon is the only mythical animal in the horoscope, making the Year of the Dragon particularly auspicious and fortunate. Those born in that year are believed to be smart, lucky and magnanimous.
Architectural designer Adrian Ching, 37, and flight attendant Fion Ching, also 37, welcomed their first child, weighing 2.92kg, at 12.02am at the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan.
Fion said she did not expect her daughter would be among the first “dragon babies”.
“The expected due date was Valentine’s Day. We had made plans to visit relatives on Lunar New Year Day,” she said. “Because she is our first child, the feeling is so profound. It makes it more commemorative she was born in the Year of the Dragon.”
Adrian Ching said he was very happy that both the mother and baby were doing fine, adding that they had yet to decide on a name for their daughter.
A baby girl was born at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin at 12.03am, followed by another at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital in Tsuen Wan at 12.33am.
A boy was born at Tuen Mun Hospital at 12.44am.
