18 November 2015
|
Year of the Monkey miniature sheet
Jersey Post welcomes in the Chinese New Year with a stamp and miniature sheet to illustrate the Year of the Monkey.
Smart, quick witted and ambitious – three of the characteristics you’re said to have if you were born in the Chinese Year of the Monkey, which falls in 2016. Jersey Post marks the start of the Chinese New Year with a Year of the Monkey stamp and presentation pack illustrated by Beijing artist Wang Huming, whose work also appeared on Jersey’s SEPAC flower stamps in September.
The Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, is the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar and is celebrated by Chinese and ethnic communities around the world. Each year, children in Jersey’s schools learn about cultural diversity and are encouraged to embrace traditions observed in different countries, learning to say ‘Kung Hei Fat Choy’, (Happy New Year in Cantonese). The first in a new series celebrates the start of the 2016 Lunar New Year on 5 January, 2016 and introduces the monkey.
THE CHINESE ZODIAC
The Chinese animal zodiac, or shengxiao meaning ‘born resembling’, is a repeating cycle of twelve years, with each year being represented by an animal and its reputed attributes. Traditionally these zodiac animals, also referred to as earthly branches, were used to date the years together with ten heavenly stems and are in a fixed order; the monkey occupies the ninth position on the Chinese zodiac. Each animal has symbolic meanings given to it by the ancient Chinese and people born in each animal's year are said to have some of that animal's personality. Those born in the year of the monkey are said to be smart, quick-witted, optimistic, and ambitious.
The monkey shown on the 47p stamp and the £1 miniature sheet is depicted as a playful and curious animal, investigating the pattern of leaves and flowers which surround him. A red-based colour scheme pays tribute to the colour of China’s national flag and the miniature sheet carries Chinese New Year greetings. For more information on the stamps, visit Jersey Post's website.
For news and in-depth information on the latest stamps and coins, buy Stamp & Coin Mart magazine.