USPS will release its Year of the Boar stamp, the 12th and final entry in the Celebrating Lunar New Year series, Thursday, Jan. 17.
Lunar New Year, an important holiday for many Asian communities, is celebrated primarily by people of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan and Mongolian heritage.
The Year of the Boar begins Tuesday, Feb. 5. Individuals born during the Year of the Boar are said to be generous, compassionate and warmhearted.
The stamp artwork features peach blossoms, which are particularly significant during this time of year. In China, peach trees typically bloom in early February, heralding the imminent arrival of spring.
Kam Mak, a Hong Kong-born artist, created the artwork using elements from a previous series of Lunar New Year stamps: Clarence Lee’s intricate cut-paper design of a boar and the Chinese character for “boar” drawn in grass-style calligraphy by Lau Bun.
Ethel Kessler served as art director for the new stamp.
The Postal Service introduced the Celebrating Lunar New Year series in 2008. The earlier Lunar New Year series ran from 1992-2007. A third series will launch next year.
USPS is offering the Year of the Boar stamp in souvenir sheets of 12. The stamps will be available at Post Offices and usps.com.