In 2007 February 18th was the first day of the Chinese New Year. The Chinese have been calculating the New Year for a long time (over 4,600 years), thus it is understandable that their ancestors used the new moon to fix the date of each new year.
Special Chinese New Year Stamps
These stamps, which celebrate the Year of the Pig have been made to taste of sweet and sour pork. The stamps are official issue to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
If you scratch the surface of the front or the back, the stamp releases the smell of a popular Chinese dish. The stamps are on sale in China ahead of their New Year on February 18.
Incidentally, the Royal Mail launched Britain’s first scratch ‘n’ sniff stamp in 2001, the stamp exuded an aroma of eucalyptus.
Here on the left is a Chinese New Year stamp of a pig taken from the previous cycle (1995)
Also an American Piglet stamp from 2007
More Chinese New Year Stamps (Monkey, Rooster, Dog and on the right, 1983 pig!)
The Chinese Calendar
2007 is the year of the pig, or to be precise, fire and pig. This Chinese New Year is also know as Ding Hai. 2007 is considered particularly auspicious as, according to the Chinese zodiac, it is a ‘golden pig’ year that falls once every 60 years.
Unlike other calendars, the Chinese calendar has names that are repeated every 60 years. In the Chinese ‘Stem-Branch’ calendar this is the 8th year of the 60 year cycle. Within the ‘Stem-Branch’ system is shorter cycle of 12 years denoted by these animals:
Rat Ox Tiger Hare Dragon Snake Horse Sheep Monkey Rooster Dog Pig
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (2004) (2005) (2006) 2007
See here for Chinese New Year 2009 – Year of the Ox
Chinese Proverbs
20 Number 6
Chinese Phrases
搞笑清洁笑话 in China roughly translates into clean funny jokes.
Chinese Characters
A simple example of Chinese characters showing how the sun symbol can be modified with a line to mean dawn.
P.S. Please write to Will and Guy if you have any examples of Chinese New Year humor.
