year of the ox

Chinese New Year

2021 is a year of the Ox, starting from February 12th, 2021 (Chinese lunar New Year Day) and lasting until January 31st, 2022. It will be a Metal Ox year.

The recent zodiac years of Ox sign are: 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033…An Ox year occurs every 12 years.

Ox Year	Zodiac Years Calendar	Five Elements of Ox
1925	January 24, 1925 – February 12, 1926	Wood Ox
1937	February 11, 1937 – January 31, 1938	Fire Ox
1949	January 29, 1949 – February 16, 1950	Earth Ox
1961	February 15, 1961 – February 4, 1962	Metal Ox
1973	February 3, 1973 – January 22, 1974	Water Ox
1985	February 19, 1985 – February 8, 1986	Wood Ox
1997	February 7, 1997 – January 27, 1998	Fire Ox
2009	January 26, 2009 – February 13, 2010	Earth Ox
2021	February 12, 2021 – January 31, 2022	Metal Ox

The Oxes' Personality: Diligent, Dependable...

Having an honest nature, Oxes are known for diligence, dependability, strength and determination. These reflect traditional conservative characteristics.

Women Oxes are traditional, faithful wives, who attach great importance to their children's education.

For male oxes, they are strongly patriotic, have ideals and ambitions for life, and attach importance to family and work.

New Zealand

Technical information

Date of issue:	2 December 2020
Number of stamps:	Four gummed
Denominations:	$1.40, $2.70, $3.50, $4.00
Stamps, miniature sheet and first day covers designed by:	YMC Design, Wellington, New Zealand
Stamp size and format:	30mm x 40mm (vertical)
Miniature sheet size and format:	135mm x 90mm (horizontal)
Paper type:	Tullis Russell 104gsm red phosphor gummed stamp paper
Perforation gauge:	14

$1.40 Happiness

Chinese New Year traditions are filled with meaning. The Ox is a symbol of determination and honesty and the smiling infant represents happiness. By depicting the Ox and the infant together, a relationship between these two concepts is created.

$2.70 Fortune

We see the Ox and infants in a New Year procession. As the Ox and infants march together, they represent new beginnings and a celebration of the year ahead. Clasped in one baby’s hand is a lotus flower. The flower appears in all the stamps. It’s a popular Chinese icon used to signify purity and a fresh start for the coming year.

$3.50 Freedom

Here a toddler is seen raising an Ox kite. As the kite resembles an ox, it also signifies a year when hard work is rewarded with prosperity. This symbolises letting go of the past to make way for the year ahead.

$4.00 Peace

The Ox and an infant share an apple; this act of sharing represents peace. Both the calendar and the stamp feature bold typography, simple colour palettes and a series of boxed-in elements that are divided by thin lines.

Hong Kong

Stamp Printing Details

Design:	KAN Tai-keung
Printer:	Stamp Sheet & $10 Stamp Sheetlet - Southern Colour Print, New Zealand Silk Stamp Sheetlet - Cartor Security Printing, France
Process:	Stamp Sheet & Silk Stamp Sheetlet - Lithography $10 Stamp Sheetlet - Lithography plus hot foil stamping
Perforation:	Stamp Sheet - 14.25 (one elliptical perforation on each vertical) $10 Stamp Sheetlet & Silk Stamp Sheetlet - 13.25 (one elliptical perforation on each vertical)
Date of Issue:	28 January 2021

$2 － With a time-honoured history, woodcarving is commonly found in traditional folk crafts. It is also often used in the making of furniture and architectural decoration, rendering them functional yet aesthetic. This stamp features a boxwood carved ox resting with placidity against a background of delicate and graceful Chinese peonies to usher in a propitious spring at the beginning of the year.

$3.7 － Purple clay, a unique kind of sandy clay indigenous to Yixing of Jiangsu Province, is hailed as the national treasure. On the stamp is a Zisha bisque fired calf display, which is distinctive in shape and imbued with a sense of archaic elegance. With the fully bloomed lotus in summer in the backdrop, the beauty of the nature sparkles with infinite vitality and vivacity, creating a bright and fresh outlook for the new year.

$4.9 － Bronze is an alloy consisting of copper with the addition of tin or lead, which was a kind of precious material in ancient China. The Chinese name of the metal, meaning literally "greenish copper", is derived from its greenish grey colour. The bronze ox on the stamp looks lifelike, and the elaborate and magnificent patterns on its back exemplify the sophisticated craftsmanship of the time. A token of blessing and longevity, the autumn chrysanthemum in the background together with the statue add a sense of splendour to each other.

$5 － Chinese ceramics is an exquisite artistry appearing in a wide variety of forms, such as the distinctive porcelain ornament in a unique form of ox portrayed on the stamp. The backdrop is embellished with the plum blossom of late winter. Its five petals symbolise happiness, well-being, longevity, success and peace, extending the wish of having a new year filled with luck and fulfilment.

Great Britain

Lunar New Year of the Ox Generic Sheet with 20 First Class Smilers stamps featuring fireworks images.

Labels showcase Chinese New Year celebrations in named cities across the UK.

The labels are designed by hat-trick design and feature paper cut-outs both on the bright red background of the sheet and the labels representing the five elements of Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth.

The pictorial labels depict Lunar New Year festivities taking place in five UK locations – Liverpool, Edinburgh, Swansea, London and Belfast, whilst the remainder show five Lunar New Year related images.

Guernsey

Guernsey Post introduced a set of six stamps to celebrate the Year of the Ox, the eight set in its Chinese New Year series. For this issue, Chrissy Lau has taken inspiration from the patterns found on Feng Shui ornaments, as this is considered good luck. These ornaments include oranges, lanterns and red cakes. These, along with the Chinese symbol for ox appear throughout the stamp design.

Specifications

Date of Issue	26 January 2021
Designer	Chrissy Lau
Printer	Southern Colour Print
Values	50p, 68p, 70p, 85p, 95p, £1.02
Process	Offset lithography
Stamp Size	30mm deep x 140mm wide
Sheet Size	100mm deep x 140mm wide
Paper	NovaStamp Non-Phosphor Gummed 105gsm
Sheet	10
Perforation	13.33 x 13.60
Cylinder	A

Philippines

Technical Specifications:

Issued on: 2020-12-28
Perforation: 14
Printing: Offset lithography
Denominations: ₱12, ₱45
Quantity Printed: 25,000

Technical Specifications:

Issued on: 2020-12-28
Size: 63 x 63 mm
Format: Souvenir Sheet
Perforation: 14
Printing: Offset lithography and Hot stamping
Denomination: ₱200
Quantity Printed: 4,000

Stamp Designer:

Rodine C. Teodoro

LIECHTENSTEIN

For the tenth time in a row, Philately Liechtenstein is issuing a stamp at the end of the year with a motif from the Chinese zodiac, of which the sign in the coming year will be the ox. The self-adhesive special stamp “Year of the Ox” (face value: CHF 2.00) was once again this year designed in the form of a filigree silhouette and produced using state-of-the-art laser technology. The sheet combines four stamps and is punched out in the shape of an ox. Gold foil stamping gives it a classy touch.

Technical Specifications:

Date Of Issue: 16. November 2020
Designers: Stefan Erne, Triesen
Stamp format: 46 x 48 mm
Perforation: 12 1/3 x 12 ½
Face value CHF 2.00

Tawain

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - Chunghwa Post will mark the Year of the Ox with a set of two stamps and a souvenir sheet aptly themed "turning the situation around."

The images on the stamps are inspired by the art of paper cutting, with an ox turning its head. As in Mandarin Chinese "turning" (扭) is a homonym for ox or cow (牛), the design symbolizes the concept of "turning things around" and "turning one's luck for the better."

Though the Lunar New Year falls on Feb. 12, 2021, the stamps will be available from Dec. 1.

Armenia

On November 13^th, 2020, one postage stamp dedicated to the theme “Lunar New Year” has been put into circulation.

The postage stamp with the nominal of 330 AMD depicts the Ox which is a symbol of the Lunar New Year 2021.

Date of issue: November 13, 2020

Designer: David Dovlatyan

Printing house: Cartor, France

Size: 30,0 x 30,0 mm

Stamps per sheet: 10 pcs

Print run: 40 000 pcs.

Armenia Post introduced a special postage stamp dedicated to the theme ‘Lunar New Year’. The item with the nominal of 330 AMD depicts the Ox, which is the symbol for 2021. This Ox year will be the Metal Ox.

Thailand

Design: Illustration of the zodiac sign for the Year of the Ox. The ox drawing is the Royal hand sketch by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Zodiac Stamp Issue —Year of the Ox
Day of Issue: 4 January 2564 (2021)
Denomination: 3.00 baht
Print quantity: 1,000,000 stamps
Size: 30 x 40.5 mm (Vertical)
Designer: Mr. Udorn Niyomthum (Thailand Post Company Limited)
Printer: TBSP Public Company Limited, Thailand
Printing Process and Color: Offset Lithography Multicolor
Sheet Composition: 10 stamps
First Day Cover: 12.00 Baht