Re: HIT: Chinese New YEar.

["Coral D. Antony (904)481-2444" <ANTONYC@MAIL.FIRN.EDU>]

More about the Chinese New Year (picked up in newsgroup k12.chat.teacher)
(LONG>>>>)

" In what appears to have become an annual tradition, the Postal Service
for the third year in a row is recognizing the Chinese New Year--this time
with a 29-cent Year of the Boar commemorative stamp issued in
Sacramento, California on December 30. (A GIF scan of this stamp can be
found on the anonymous FTP archive: igs.cviog.uga.edu/Jackson.) Clarence
Lee of Honolulu designed this and the previous two stamps based on Chinese
paper cuts of the symbol for the year.
Each Chinese year is popularly known by one of the 12 animals of the
Chinese Zodiac. Each animal is recognized only once in 12 years, and the
Year of the Boar marks the final year in the 12-year cycle. The complete
list of symbols is: Mouse. Cow (Buffalo), Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake,
Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar.
The traditional Chinese calendar is based on lunar months, with each month
beginning on a moonless night. In China, newspapers usually print both
solar and lunar calendars. In cities, the solar calendar is commonly used,
but in  the countryside, many traditional events are based on the lunar
calendar.
There were two apparent ironies associated with this year's stamp. The
first is that (1) the 29-cent stamp was issued in first day ceremonies on
December 30, (2) the rest of the nation got the stamp on December 31, and
(3) the first-class rate changed to 32 cents on January 1. Thus, for the
vast majority of Americans, the 29-cent Year of the Boar stamp was valid
first-class postage in and of itself for only a single day.
The second apparent irony is that the Chinese New Year is not Dec. 30 but
rather January 31, 1995. The problem is that the Postal Service had
requested a rate hike, but this had to go to an independent Postal rate
commission appointed by the president, and it was uncertain when the
commission would issue its approval. The Chinese New Year stamps have
proven very popular with the Chinese community in the United States. Had
the Postal Service planned to issue a new stamp in late January, it would
have had to be undenominated (G stamp) However, the Universal Postal Union
( of which the U.S. is a member) requires international mail to be carried
by *denominated* stamps. Thus a "G" Chinese New Year Stamp would not have
been legal for mail to foreign destinations.  In the end. the Postal
Service decided to issue it as a denominated 29-cent stamp. As national
distribution is only possible the day *after* the first day of release, the
Postal Service waited until the last day it could to issue a stamp the
(with the addition of appropriate postage) could be used for mail to Taiwan
or mainland China. Of course, once issued as a denominated stamp, all you
have to do is add the additional postage to equal the rate for
international mail from the U.S......"(there is more)

by Ed Jackson from  rec.collecting.stamps newsgroup


Enjoy (this is probably more than what you need, but as a former stamp
collector, I found it fascinating)

Coral
antonyc@mail.firn.edu