Fact #1: Today is the Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year. This is the Year of the Dog.

Fact #2: The upcoming lunar year has an intercalary month, making it a month longer than most years. Start to finish, it’ll be 385 days, which has happened only 12 times since 221 BC.

Fact #3: The longer year allows for two lichun to occur within it, a rare and supposedly lucky phenomenon. A lichun has to do with the celestial longitude of the Sun, and in Chinese culture marks the beginning of spring. Last year, the year of the Rooster, had not even one lichun.

All leading to the point that: “As the Chinese proverb goes, double beginnings of spring and 13 months make a perfect year for weddings.” Or so they claim. Lucky us!