Appreciate a Dragon Day Date in the current year: January 16, 2026
Appreciate a Dragon Day, also known as National Appreciate a Dragon Day, is celebrated annually on January 16. This day honors the majestic, legendary creatures that appear in the folklore of cultures around the world.Dragons are reptile-like creatures found in many different mythologies. What’s most amazing is that they appear in both Western and Eastern folklore, though they are depicted differently in the two regions. Western dragons, also known as European dragons, are usually depicted as large, scaly, horned, lizard-like creatures with leathery wings and a long tail. They are typically capable of breathing fire. In contrast, Eastern dragons, also known as Chinese dragons, are serpent-like with four legs and no wings.
Dragons were present in Greek (and by extension Roman) and Germanic mythologies in pre-Christian Europe, but the modern Western image of a dragon developed during the Middle Ages. In Christian European cultures, dragons were usually depicted as aggressive and evil. One of the most prominent Christian legends is that of Saint George slaying the dragon, although the narrative has pre-Christian origins.
In the East, dragons had different connotations than in the West. They were associated with the Chinese emperor and represented imperial power, benevolence, good luck, prosperity, and harmony. The dragon is one of the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac. They are also featured prominently in various celebrations, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and Chinese New Year.
Despite the somewhat negative connotations associated with dragons in European mythology, modern depictions of dragons vary greatly. Some fantasy authors still use dragons as antagonists, but many books present dragons as wise, friendly creatures that help protagonists, or even become protagonists themselves. One example is Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series.
Appreciate a Dragon Day was created by Donita K. Paul, an American novelist known for her fantasy series The DragonKeeper Chronicles. She started the holiday in 2004 to promote the first novel in the series, DragonSpell. Since then, however, Appreciate a Dragon Day has taken on a life of its own and is no longer exclusively associated with The DragonKeeper Chronicles.
The best way to celebrate Appreciate a Dragon Day is to learn more about how dragons are depicted in different mythologies and enjoy your favorite books, movies, and TV shows featuring dragons. Here are a few titles to get you started: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin; The Silmarillion and The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien; Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey; The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini; the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling; the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik; the How to Train Your Dragon books by Cressida Cowell; The Neverending Story by Michael Ende; The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin. Many of these books have been made into live-action or animated movies and television shows, so if you don’t like reading, you should check out the adaptations.
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- Unofficial Holidays
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- Appreciate a Dragon Day, unofficial holidays, depictions of dragons, Western dragons, Eastern dragons