2018’s Year of the Dog may belong to China’s Lunar Calendar, but the entire world is celebrating the year of Man’s Best Friend! Countries all over are releasing postage stamps to commemorate the occasion – not only China, but the U.S., Australia, and several others!
USA
The United States Postal Service has released a Forever stamp in commemorating the 2018 Year of the Dog. The stamp may seem simplistic, but every bit of it is packed with Chinese symbolism meant to bring good fortune. Douglas Chong, Hawaii Chinese History Center president explains to KHON2.com, “The three stalks of the bamboo are very sacred, because three is a magic number in Chinese. It represents heaven, earth, and water. The red cord right in the middle signifies joy, rebirth, and it ties and entwines us together in peace and cooperation, anchoring us firmly to the middle of the earth.” The stamp also features a Chinese word meaning “good fortune,” the word for “dog,” and a cut-paper design dog in the upper left corner. You can get a sheet of your own at USPS.com.
China
Zhou Lingzhao, a legendary 99-year-old painter designed the colorful Year of the Dog stamps for China Post. A well-respected artist, Lingzhao has also helped design national emblems and banknotes for the Chinese government, and may be most famous for his portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong. Xinhuanet.com reports that the two designs for this year’s stamps took Lingzhao almost a year to design, but the outcome is incredible!
Canada
Canada Post released it’s Year of the Dog stamps just last Monday. The stamps feature two designs, one of a dog lit gold on a red Chinese lantern, and another dog, lit red on a gold Chinese lantern. Both goregous photographs were taken by Raeff Miles, a Canadian photographer from British Colombia. This is the 10th release in a series that is released annually by Canada Post that celebrates the Chinese Zodiac, and our favorite! The series also includes pure silver coins with Chinese canines. You can see the full collection at canadapost.ca.
Malaysia
Pos Malaysia will be releasing a collection of stamps that not only celebrates The Year of The Dog, but also the importance of working dogs as well! As reported by the Straits Times, a representative for Pos Malaysia’s Stamp and Philately Unit said at a recent press conference in Kuala Lampur, “This collection highlights the importance of working dogs trained to perform specific tasks to assist humans, for example in crime prevention, detection of concealed substances or objects and to assist visually impaired individuals.” The stamps will feature breeds like the Golden Retriever, German Shepherd and Border Collie.
Singapore
SingPost’s stamps are more whimsical than others, designed to resemble watercolors by artist Leo Teck Chong. This is the 10th set of 12 collections celebrating the Chinese zodiac to be released annually by SingPost since 2008. As of 2020, all 12 zodiac signs will have gotten their own stamp. A represenative for SingPost tells channelnewsasia.com that people who are born in the Year of the Dog are “…known to be honest, loyal and trustworthy, with intelligence and an industrious nature that makes them good leaders.”
Philippines
PHLPost’s Year of the Dog stamps include a red and gold souvenir sheet for stamp collectors. In Chinese tradition, the colors are meant to symbolize good luck and proseperity. The stamps were designed by an in-house graphic artist and feature portraits of a Golden Retriever – a favorite breed of dog lovers all over the world!
Hong Kong
Although located in China, Hong Kong has it’s own postal service, which is releasing it’s own Year of the Dog stamp collection! This is the 7th issue in their Chinese zodiac series, and offers four different designs featuring statues of dogs of various mediums with floral backgrounds.
Australia
Australia’s Year of the Dog stamp was designed by Dani Poon using traditional Chinese art and caligraphy and lots of color. The minisheet included in the collection depicts a Chinese legend that tells the story of a dog who risked his life to steal rice seeds from the Gods to save starving people. Poon tells Swinburne News, “The dog minisheet is one of my favourites because it illustrates the dog’s personality traits in such a dynamic, quirky and fun way – rice seeds in the shape of a dog gliding in the sky.” See the full collection (including the cool minisheet) at australiapostcollectables.com.au.
Featured Photo: Canada Post/Facebook
