The Year for Babies: Couples Hope for Offspring in Year of the Dragon

John Lennon. Jeremy Lin. Joan of Arc. Bruce Lee. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.

There are more than a few married couples hoping for babies to be born during the Year of the Dragon -- the Chinese year of the zodiac associated with big things, new beginnings, and the cream of the cream of the crop (that is very creamy indeed) -- which lasts until Feb. 10, 2013.

If this sounds like a bunch of superstition, consider: Couples like Brandon Li and Catherine Xi are both software engineers in Santa Clara, but they are "frantic to have a baby in the Year of the Dragon," according to the San Jose Mercury News.

Xi's mother sent her herbal Chinese medicine to aid in her becoming pregnant -- and other couples are engaging in pricey fertility treatments in order to become pregnant during this most auspicious of years.

"The dragon is a fearless leader," said Y.C. Sun, a feng shui master in Belmont, interviewed by the newspaper about couple's desires to birth a Dragon baby. "They take risks. They want to accomplish a mission. They encourage change and embrace innovation and technology."

In other words, a perfect Bay Area baby.

In Taiwan, the president there went as far as to encourage couples to procreate this year, the newspaper reported. And Chinese medical centers are preparing for record numbers of births.

That said, dragon babies can also bring negative change. In the end, according to Sun, "I think God created every year equal."