By The Raleigh Telegram
RALEIGH – A new stamp by the United States Postal Service was unveiled in Raleigh this past weekend, marking the beginning of the Chinese New Year.
The Triangle Area Chinese American Society and the U.S. Postal Service celebrated the Chinese New Year in style this weekend at the NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh when they officially dedicated the new Lunar New Year commemorative postage stamp on Saturday, January 28th.
According to Carl Walton of the US Postal Service, the dedication event was part of the Triangle Area Chinese American Society’s Chinese New Year Festival at the Fairgrounds this past weekend. As 2012 is the “Year of the Dragon” the stamp which features a red dragon, offered a fitting tribute to both the New Year and the festival.
The U.S. Postal Service says that the new dragon “forever” stamp is the fifth of 12 stamps in the Postal Service’s Celebrating Lunar New Year series, which began in 2008 with the Year of the Rat. The Year of the Dragon began on January 23, 2012, and ends on February 9, 2013.
The Lunar New Year is celebrated primarily by people of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan and Mongolian heritage in many parts of the world. Parades, parties and other special events are common.
“Dragons are regarded as magical or divine, welcome symbols of renewed hope for the future,” said Cheryl Picard, Acting Postmaster in the Raleigh district in a statement. “With this new stamp, we hope that the year will bring the best to all of us, no matter what sign we were born under.” ::
