Stamps Wiki:LNY2021/5

United States

Lunar New Year - Year of the Ox

2 February 2021

As the Lunar New Year approached, the U.S. Postal Service issued a new Forever&reg; stamp honouring the Year of the Ox.

The Lunar New Year is an important holiday for many Asian communities around the world.

There are many traditions for ringing in a new year of good luck and prosperity. In communities across the United States, people shop for holiday food and other supplies, hang decorations and ceremoniously clean their homes to welcome the year with a fresh start.

The mask on the stamp design incorporates elements with symbolic meaning. Several of the patterns were created with the style of Asian textiles in mind, as well as purple flowers that represent the arrival of spring, which Lunar New Year also signals in Chinese culture. The star in the center of the ox’s head references the celestial themes of the Chinese zodiac.