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Ox marks the spot

New stamp celebrates festive Asian holiday

The Year of the Ox stamp design includes purple flowers that represent the arrival of spring, which Lunar New Year signals in Chinese culture.

The Postal Service will release the Year of the Ox stamp Feb. 2.

The Forever stamp is the second in an updated Lunar New Year series, launched in 2020 to commemorate the traditional Asian holiday celebrated around the world with dragon boat races, fireworks and special food and drink.­­­

The image on the stamp is a stylized mask of the face of an ox covered with symbols referencing Asian culture. Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original artwork by Camille Chew.

The Chinese zodiac comprises 12 animal signs, each said to influence those born under it and endowing them with certain traits. Every 12 years, one of the animals gets their day — or rather, year — in the sun. This lunar year (Feb. 12, 2021-Jan. 31, 2022) it’s the ox’s turn.

Like their animal totem, those born under the sign of the ox are said to be strong, reliable and hard-working.

The stamp, available at Post Offices and usps.com, will be dedicated during a virtual ceremony that can be viewed Feb. 2 at noon on the Postal Service’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

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