The Postal Service is making sure the Lunar New Year gets off to a good start.
In addition to holding last month’s dedication ceremony in Monterey Park, CA, for the Year of the Rat stamp, USPS employees are participating in special events in communities across the nation.
For example, in Chicago, the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce held a Year of the Rat stamp unveiling during its annual Lunar New Year dinner.
“The Postal Service regards it an honor to celebrate our nation’s diversity through our stamp program,” said Chicago Customer Service Operations Manager David Durrett, who helped unveil the stamp before an audience of more than 200 attendees.
“For more than 100 years, we have issued stamps that celebrate the cultures of people who have come from around the world, reflecting the rich and multifaceted heritage of America.”
The Year of the Rat stamp, available at Post Offices across the nation and usps.com, evokes the rat masks used in Lunar New Year dragon dances.
The release is the first stamp in the Postal Service’s third series honoring Lunar New Year, an important holiday for many Asian communities.
The lunar calendar operates on a 12-year cycle, with each year assigned a different zodiac animal. The Year of the Rat began Jan. 25 and ends Feb. 11, 2021.