Christmas Island Year of the Tiger 2022

Overview

Lunar New Year, also called the Spring Festival in China, is the most important of the traditional festivals celebrated by Asian cultures throughout the world. It is a time to complete unfinished business and settle debts to begin the New Year with a clean slate. Celebrations include congregating with relatives and friends for feasts and to exchange gifts of money wrapped in lucky red paper. Incense is burned to honour ancestors.

The Year of the Tiger begins on 1 February 2022. The third animal in the 12-year cycle, the Tiger is a born leader, brave, adventurous, competitive and confident. Birth years for Tigers include 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 and 2010. In Chinese culture, Tigers are regarded as the guardians of children, and infants wear shoes and hats with tiger designs to protect against evil spirits.

The stamp designs are based on the Asian tradition of the beckoning Lucky Cat figurine. These symbols of good fortune, wealth and prosperity originated in Japan, where they are known as maneki-neko. Colourful Lucky Cat figurines, with their characteristic red ears, are a common sight at the entrance to small Asian businesses, their raised paw beckoning customers into the store. The colours of gold and red are also associated with wealth and good luck, respectively.

Technical specifications