Chinese New Year (77)

Happy Chinese New Year! This coming year is the year of the rabbit, as we leave the roaring tiger behind. This (if we give astrology any credence, which we don't) means that we should see an abrupt change of pace as the next year unfolds. Though I have to say, it sure would be nice if that were true . . . Enough roaring already.

A FB friend posted an image of a Chinese postage stamp celebrating this new year:

As he said, it's a little disturbing! Nothing docile about that rabbit. Here's a more soothing depiction of the change from old year to new (including a gentler tiger: the description of this image mentions no roaring, only resilience):

Anyway, that blue rabbit got me searching out postage stamps depicting each of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs—from all over the world, as it turned out. Chinese New Year doesn't happen just in China.

Here is the rest of the zodiac, counting forward into the future—or, in reverse order, back into the past, as you wish:

And here are the US commemorative stamps for recent (pre-forever and forever) cycles of Chinese new years:

And this year's stamp:

In any case, Kung hei fat choy, Gong xi fa cai, 恭喜發財—or however you say it! If you'd like to watch a little video about this rabbit year, I offer you . . .