You may be wondering why an official New Year’s stamp won’t be issued until February. Is the USPS running behind schedule? Not at all! The new stamp commemorates the observance of the Chinese calendar and celebrates the brand spanking New Year of the Rat, which begins February 7, 2008 and ends January 25, 2009. It is the first of 12 new issues scheduled to be debuted annually through 2019.
 
Each new stamp will feature one of the 12 different animals in the Chinese calendar. 
 
A formal ceremony in San Francisco, home of the largest Chinese population outside of China, will take place on January 9th at the Nob Hill Masonic Center. Presiding over the proceedings will be Katherine Tobin, a member of U. S. Postal Service Board of Governors. Leung’s White Crane Kung Fu Association and the White Crane Lion Dance will provide entertainment for the event. (Who said the USPS isn’t fun?)
 
Along with Asian dignitaries in attendance, Tobin will host Kam Mak, the Hong Kong-born artist who designed 12 Chinese lantern stamps that incorporate elements of lunar new year celebrations. Clarence Lee’s familiar cut paper designs from the previous series will appear in the margin of the sheet. Red, for luck, will be the predominant color.
 
According to legend, the animals of the Chinese calendar raced across a river to determine their order in the cycle. The rat crossed by riding on the back of the ox, jumping ahead at the last minute to win the race. In the Chinese tradition, people born in the year of a particular animal are said to share characteristics with that animal.
 
This year’s little Rats (those born in 2009), like their ancestors, are said to be adaptable, clever, ambitious and industrious. Famous celebrity Rats include Antonio Banderas, Claude Monet, David Duchovny, George Washington, Hugh Grant, and Prince Charles.
 
The Walt Disney Company marks the birth of Mickey Mouse as November 18, 1928 when Steamboat Willie was first released. That makes Mickey a rabbit, not a rat. (Or perhaps ‘cash cow’ would be a more accurate description)