SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Year of the Dragon, a symbol of strength and luck in the Chinese zodiac, is upon us. San Francisco’s Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Chinese community will mark the occasion, as they do every February, by hosting a monthlong Chinese New Year Festival and Parade — a tradition since just after the Gold Rush. This event reigns as the largest such celebration outside Asia. And the Feb. 24 parade is one of the few illuminated nighttime parades in the world. Festivities will run from now through March 3. FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS: On Choe Sun Doe Day, Feb. 10, children will rece…