Chinese New Year of Culture

I from the postage stamp merchant there purchase's these 2 American covers, oneself like very much.

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The 24th World Winter Universiade will start on Feb. 18 in Harbin.2009 shows Dongdong, the mascot of the 24th Winter Universiade in Yabuli Ski Resort.

Year of the Ox's postmark

The Mouse Marrying Off His Daughter

In ancient China, there was a custom to celebrate the day of the mouse marrying off his daughter. The celebrations would normally take place on the night of the 25th of the first lunar month, when every household would stay in the dark with no lit candles or lights. The whole family would scatter some rice and salt on the floor before quietly sitting at the warmer end of a kang (a heatable brick bed in North China) and eating some special food made of flour in the dark. The reason that they would eat the meal as quietly as possible was that they wanted to provide convenience to the mouse that was marrying off his daughter on that night. Otherwise, the mouse would get offended and bring harm in the rest of the year.

The "rats marrying off daughter" is one of the most popular. Here goes the story:
When the rats' daughter reaches the age of marriage, they tell her to select the most powerful to be her husband. After careful consideration, the rat daughter decides that the sun is most powerful. She asks the sun to marry her.

The Sun says, "Dark Cloud can block sunrays. He is more powerful. You'll be better off marring Dark Cloud."

The rat daughter proposes to Dark Cloud. Dark Cloud says, "Wind can blow me away. He is more powerful. You'll be better off marring Wind."

The rat daughter proposes to Wind. Wind says, "Wall can stop me. He is more powerful. You'll be better off marring Wall."

The rat daughter proposes to Wall. But Wall says, "If rats dig holes in me, I collapse. I'm afraid of rats."

Wall's words remind the rat daughter of Cat, rats' natural enemy. It appears to her now Cat must be the most powerful. She decides to marry Cat.

Cat agrees right away. They choose a lucky date, the 7th night of the New Year, as their wedding day. The rats carry the bride in a bright red sedan chair, all the way beating gongs and drums.

As soon as the bride goes into the bridal chamber, Cat eats her. "Hiding my bride in my stomach is the best way to protect her from other bullies," Cat says.

Chinese zodiac stamp series

New Year’s Greeting Postage Stamps, commonly called the Chinese Zodiac postage stamps, are based on the upcoming year’s animal sign.

In 1980, China Post issued the first zodiac stamp. Since then, 29 stamps have been designed and released. Some rare editions have appreciated more than 3,000 times over their face value. Collectors are expressing confidence the zodiac stamp series will become a popular part of Ch
ina's contemporary culture.



Chinese pre-stamped postal card

In the Chinese zodiac years are named for different animals in a twelve year cycle. The Year of the Rat - the first year in the cycle - last fell in 1996. The sequence is Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

Lunar New Year Stamp----the Ox

2009

Chen Shaohua (陈绍华)
Chen Shaohua (陈绍华) designed this stamp commemorating the Year of the Ox,the lunar year running from January 26, 2009 to February 13, 2010. This stamp is the Six issue in the Lunar New Year series which began in 2004 with the Year of the Monkey issue.

Traditionally the Ox is seen to represent positive characteristics such as responsibility, industriousness, intelligence and practicality, as well as negative traits like stubbornness and intolerance.People born under the sign of Ox are patient, taciturn, and inspire confidence in others.Their physical stamina combined with their mental alertness is a distinct advantage when it comes to completing any task at hand.

1985

1997
the Year of the Ox is:1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033.

Famous people born in the Year of the Ox : Johann Sebastian Bach, Napoleon Bonaparte, Charlie Chaplin, George Clooney , Walt Disney, Anton Dvorak, Clark Gable, George Frideric Handel, Oscar De La Hoya , Richard Nixon, Barack Obama , Aishwarya Rai , Wayne Rooney , Vincent Van Gogh .

Famous Ox:
Barack Obama Charlie Chaplin Vincent Van Gogh Wayne Rooney,