US #5662
2022 Year of the Tiger – Lunar New Year Series
- The third stamp in the Lunar New Year series begun in 2020
- Celebrates the Year of the Tiger
- Showcases the same style mask design as previous stamps in the series
- Foil stamping brings out the intricate details of the design
Stamp Category: Commemorativ... more
US #5662
2022 Year of the Tiger – Lunar New Year Series
- The third stamp in the Lunar New Year series begun in 2020
- Celebrates the Year of the Tiger
- Showcases the same style mask design as previous stamps in the series
- Foil stamping brings out the intricate details of the design
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: Lunar New Year
Value: First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: January 20, 2022
First Day City: New York, NY
Quantity Issued: 24,000,000
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset, Foil Stamping, Flexographic, Microprint
Format: Panes of 20
Tagging: Phosphor, block tag
Why the stamp was issued: To celebrate the fourth animal in the Chinese Zodiac and the beginning of the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese Lunar New Year. It’s the third stamp in the Lunar New Year series that began in 2020.
About the stamp design: According to the USPS, the designs for this Lunar New Year Series are meant to remind us of the “elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon or lion dances often performed in Lunar New Year parades.” Artist Camille Chew created the Year of the Tiger mask by adapting techniques from traditional paper-cut folk-art crafts often used to create decorations during Lunar New Year. The stamp sheet includes illustrations of all 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac in columns on the left and right of the stamp pane.
Special design details: Foil stamping highlights details of the design and gives it an almost three-dimensional effect.
First Day City: The 2022 Year of the Tiger stamp was issued in New York City, with the First Day of Issue Ceremony held at Peter Norton Symphony Space.
About the Lunar New Year Series: The USPS has been issuing Lunar New Year stamps for decades. When the previous series ended in 2019, a new one was begun the following year. This particular Lunar New Year Series has stamps picturing paper-cut masks of the 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac with the stamps following the cycle of rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat/ram/sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Every stamp includes a high-quality photograph of a three-dimensional paper-cut mask created by artist Camille Chew.
History the stamp represents: In the Chinese zodiac, the tiger is the third animal in the 12-year Lunar New Year cycle. In 2022, the Year of the Tiger began on February 1.
Different countries have different ideas about what animal is the king of beasts. In China, that animal is the tiger. The tiger represents power and fearlessness in Chinese culture as well as energy, royalty, protection, generosity, illumination, and unpredictability. It is also a symbol of luck. The tiger is associated with the Sun, summer, and fire.
Tigers are said to prevent household disasters such as fire and burglary. They also keep ghosts away. Temples often picture tiger paintings, tapestries, or sculptures for protection. Soldiers once painted tigers on their shields in order to strike fear in the hearts of their enemies on the battlefield. Chinese folk tales and literature commonly feature tigers, as well.
A different-colored tiger is said to rule over each of the seasons: white for fall, black for winter, blue for spring, and red for summer. A yellow tiger rules over all of the others and represents the Sun. It’s amazing to think how a single animal can have so many different meanings to a culture!
Less 
