Greetings on Chinese New Year 4712

 

2015 Year of the Sheep Postcard

“Xin Nian Hao” - HAPPY (CHINESE) NEW YEAR 4712 !

The Year 2015 is the 4712th Chinese year and the first day is on February 19, 2015. Chinese New Year is represented by 1 of the 12 creatures of the Chinese Zodiac – 2015 is the year of the Sheep.The Chinese believe that people born in a particular year take on the characteristics of the animal associated with that year.

 

 

CHINESE NEW YEAR 4712 - THE YEAR OF Sheep | 19 FEBRUARY 2015

The first day of the 2015 Chinese New Year is on February 19, 2015 in China's time zone. This day is a new moon day, and is the first day of the first Chinese lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar system. The exact new moon time is at 07:48 a.m. on 19-Feb-2015 in China's time zone.

The Year 2015 is the 4712th Chinese year. The Chinese believe that the first king of China was the Yellow King (he was not the first emperor of China). The Yellow King became king in 2697 B.C., therefore China will enter the 4712th year on February 19, 2015. Also, the Chinese Year uses the cycle of 60 Stem-Branch counting systems and the Green Wood Sheep is the 32nd Stem-Branch in the cycle. Since (60 *78) + 32 = 4712, therefore 2015 is the Wooden Sheep year, which is the 4712th Chinese Year.

2015 is the year of Sheep. Some people say 2015 is a Green Sheep or Wooden Sheep year. This is because the Stem-Branch Calendar is connected to the Five Element theory. Chinese calendars used the Stem-Branch system to count the days, months and years. There are 10 Stems and 12 Branches in this system. Stems are named by the Yin-Yang and Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth).  

Chinese Shell stamp

If you want to know which animal you are like by entering your date of birth at http://www.topmarks.co.uk/ChineseNewYear/Zodiac

Read special article by Dr SK Agrawal on Chinese New Year in Rainbow Stamp News on following links : 

Chinese New Year   Part I  http://rainbowstampnews.blogspot.in/2014/12/rainbow-january-2015.html

Chinese New Year   Part 2   http://rainbowstampnews.blogspot.in/2015/01/rainbow-february-2015.html  

Year of the Ram stamp from Canada

 

Canada Post honors Lunar New Year with a pair of stamps commemorating the Year of the Ram, a time marked by creativity, caring, sensitivity and transforming misfortune into good luck.

The domestic stamp showcases three rams welcoming spring, a popular New Year’s image, especially at the start of the Year of the Ram, which begins on February 19, 2015 and ends February 7, 2016.Souvenir sheet with  internationally denominated stamp was also issued  with this issue.

Club News

New Special Cover

A Special Cover was released yesterday (12-January 2015) at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar during Vibrant Gujarat summit. Cover was released by Shri Rajnath Singh (Hon'ble Minister of Home Affairs).

Courtesy - Gujarat Philately

New stamp on Year of Sheep

 

 

Date of Issue : 5 January 2015

A new stamp issue by China Post themed after the Chinese zodiac sheep / Goat will be released in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, on the 5^th of January.

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2015 will be the Year of Goat / Sheep, the eighth in the order of the 12 zodiac animals. Guangzhou, historically known as the city of the goat, will be the right city for the premiere of the goat-themed stamps, the local post authority said.

The stamps are designed by Wu Guanying, one of the leading designers of the Beijing Olympic Games mascots. China began to issue zodiac-themed stamps in 1980, with each round starting from the Year of Monkey and ending in the Year of sheep / Goat.

 

Foreign stamps on Indian theme

 

Here are  two S/S Of Malaysia - 2014 - World Youth Stamp Exhibition - 160 Years of Stamps Usage in Malaysia .In these Souvenir sheets 1854 Indian Stamps are  featured. These issues are on Indian theme.

- Leeza Padhi - Cuttack

2015 - The Year of Sheep

 

New Zealand Post issued a set of new stamps.This stamp release consists of four items that are dedicated to the 2015 Year of the Sheep. These stamps represent the multicultural nature of New Zealand. This is shown on these stamps through Chinese calligraphy, paper-cutting and line art illustration against backgrounds that represent New Zealand as ‘the land of the long white cloud’.

80c – Pictogram

Many modern day Chinese characters are derived from pictograms – stylised drawings of the object they represent. The pictogram on this stamp is the Chinese character for ‘sheep’, conveying both the appearance and attributes of a sheep.

$1.40 – Paper-cut Sheep

In China, paper-cuts are used extensively as home decorations and can be affixed to practically anything, from walls to mirrors and even lanterns to bring good luck. This stamp shows a paper-cut design of a sheep, decorated in traditional Chinese patterns of beauty and tranquility.

$2.00 – Sheep in New Zealand

Sheep remain an important part of the New Zealand economy, with approximately seven sheep to every person living in New Zealand. This stamp illustrates the tranquil setting of New Zealand’s pastures, perfect for rearing sheep.

$2.50 – Church of the Good Shepherd

The Church of the Good Shepherd was the first church built in the South Island’s Mackenzie Basin in 1935 and sits next to the stunning Lake Tekapo. The stamp shows an illustration of the church with a Chinese kite and long white cloud, reflecting the multicultural nature of New Zealand.

Club News

Journal of The Army Philatelic Society

The latest issue of TAPS journal edited by Col Jayanta Dutta (e-mail :  doctorjayanta2009@gmail.com  ) and Dr Anjali Dutta has been released. This issue has very informative articles on Origin of Metermarks, British Architecture in India, Modern Philately Guidelines.