Stamps for Year of the Ox issued in multiple countries to celebrate upcoming Chinese New Year

Multiple countries have recently released Year of the Ox stamps to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year, following the issuance of a special event sheet commemorating the Year of the Ox by the UN Postal Administration (UNPA) on Jan. 22. This marked the twelfth sheet issued for UNPA's Lunar New Year stamp series, which completes the entire zodiac cycle.

Now let's check them out!

On the left side of the UNPA stamp is an emblem of the United Nations, while the lovely Ox stands next to the emblem on the right.

On Oct. 29 last year, Japan Post released its 2021 Year of the Ox stamps.

Australia Post released a new set of stamps to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year and welcome the Year of the Ox. Apart from the Ox itself, there are also other Chinese elements displayed in the stamps on the sheet, such as gold ingot, a Chinese knot and auspicious clouds.

The New Zealand postal department issued its Year of the Ox stamps on Dec. 2 last year. The four-stamp set, in red and blue, present a series of Chinese New Year images signifying happiness, wealth, freedom and peace.

France released Year of the Ox stamps on Feb. 8 (local time) to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. On the green stamp there is a boy riding on the Ox and holding a plum blossom, while on the other stamp the Ox is shown with its head raised high.

The UK issued a sheet containing 20 stamps to celebrate the Year of the Ox on Dec. 8, 2020. The stamps are designed based on the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire and earth, and include pictures of Chinese New Year celebrations and China towns in multiple British cities.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a special set of stamps to commemorate the Year of the Ox on Feb. 2 (local time). The stamps contain elements of Asian textiles, as well as purple flowers that signify the coming of the spring.

The Post of Slovenia recently released a draft version of its Year of the Ox stamps. The draft showcases the Ox alongside the Chinese character "niu," which is the word for ox.

Armenia's postal department issued a set of square stamps in the form of a small sheet for the Year of the Ox in 2021 on Nov. 13, 2020.

The Year of the Ox stamps issued by Singapore Post Limited have been on sale since Jan. 8. The Ox illustrated on the stamps is adorned with lotus and lotus leaf patterns, which provides a sense of elegance.