Only a few Chinese New Year's stamps have reached my mailbox, and I posted them previously among many other-themed stamps: the Year of the Pig and of the Dog, and the Year of the Dragon.
By the way, having been born in the Year of the Dragon, I always love stamps and postcards on Dragons :-) .
So I jumped a hole into the air (Dutch expression of happiness) when Finnbadger sent me this great Dragon, accompanied by some other American Chinese New Year's stamps:
And from Australia I received this older stamp, honouring the Year of the Tiger:
Concerning the present Year of the Sheep/Goat, fortunately also a beautiful Canadian New Year stamp came into my mailbox recently. In real it is even more beautiful for it's golden details. Anyway, I love to share it with you:
The complete stamp sheet you can see on Violet Sky's Sunday Stamps blog, and be sure to check the links under her blog so you can find more beautiful Lunar New Year and Sheep/Goat stamps!
Concerning the 'Chinese Year of', first I was a bit confused: Sheep? Goat? But my Chinese colleague told me that the Chinese character is similar for both animals. And I realized that in our (Dutch) language we have similar words for animals which other people will distinguish clearly. For instance the Dutch 'kangeroe' means both 'kangaroo' and 'wallaby', while an Australian guy told me that these are complete different animals, and when he told me so, I saw the difference indeed is clear.
An older Dutch sheep stamp (from the gulden/guilder era) is this one:
Very nice stamps. As I told to FinnBadger, I don't know why people dislike the USA stamps for the Year of the Sheep/Goat. I like the fact they show different aspects of the celebration.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI didn't participate today in Sunday Stamps.
Of course it is interesting that many other aspects are showed on the American stamp series. As a fan of animals-and-characters-on-stamps I must confess that I prefer the animal pictures and Chinese characters written, nevertheless the additional pictures make the New Year more complete! (As does the grapes picture on the Spanish New Year's stamp :-) )
VerwijderenI'm glad you liked those stamps, Heleen, and I love your Dutch expression about jumping holes in the air! I really like the current lunar new year series, and will be sad when it is over - four years left, though, so some time to stay happy.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenChristmas island always has very interesting lunar new year stamps - thanks for showing these tigers.
I forgot to add that the sheetlet of the Dutch sheep stamp is fantastic - love the sheepdog in the corner keeping an eye on the flock.
VerwijderenThank you, FinnBadger. The picture of the central sheep is a bit weird: I had to look several times before I realized that the sheep has been made of only a small part of a photo of a real sheep :-)
VerwijderenConcerning the Christmas Island lunar new year stamp, I didn't know these stamps so far and these were the very first I've ever seen. In real they also are far more beautiful, because of the shining gold ink.
By the way, after scanning them I returned the stamps to the sender, because she temporarily has no income, and as the stamps haven't been postmarked, she hopefully can re-use them (of course I'm hoping she'll reuse them to send mail to me :-)
I should really spend more time looking at the stamps the first time I see them - just noticed the little tiger foot on the right stamp - that is so cute.
VerwijderenWhat beautiful stamps! I also love dragon stamps.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThank you, Jocelyn!
VerwijderenI'm familiar with the Christmas stamps from Christmas Island but didn't know they also produced New Year stamps. Love the sheep in a field.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI don't have any postcard,more so a stamp from Christmas Island,I hope to receive one in the future.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenWilla @ Postage Journal
Sunday Stamp#93: Lunar Year
Love the Christmas Island stamps and the one from the Netherlands as I would never normally come across these.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIt seem Canada has a clear winner in the Lunar New Year Stamps!
BeantwoordenVerwijderen