Welcoming the New Year with a bang, the U.S. Postal Service 2013 Year of the Snake stamp features a bundle of firecrackers colored red for luck. The Year of the Snake stamp is sixth of twelve stamps in the Celebrating Lunar New Year Series. The Year of the Snake begins on February 10, 2013, and ends on January 30, 2014.
Across many cultures, in the United States as elsewhere, the Lunar New Year is celebrated in various ways, often with parades and parties. Firecrackers are traditionally used to scare off evil spirits and welcome this time of renewed hope for the future.
Lucky foods are eaten—kumquats, and given as gifts. Festive lanterns, colored red for luck, are common decorations at Lunar New Year celebrations, where they are frequently hung in rows.
In the Chinese zodiac, the Snake is listed after the Dragon, but its place and its significance as a symbol of worship is far less than that of the Dragon. it carries the meanings of malevolence, cattiness and mystery, as well as acumen, divination and the ability to distinguish herbs.
People born in the Year of the Snake are reputed to be thoughtful and wise and to approach problems rationally and logically, seldom instinctively. Such people are complex beings, they are clever and men of few words from their birth.
Their business is always going well, but they are stingy very often. They are sometimes egoistic and conceited. However they can be very active in their friends’ life. They are often too active, not believing other people and relying only on themselves.
Title: Year of the Snake – USA
Date of Issue: 16 January 2013