Guernsey Post announces that it will release stamps to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, the 11th set in its Chinese New Year series, which began in 2014. The stamps have been created by designer Chrissy Lau, who has worked on Guernsey’s entire series (stamp issue date: 25 January 2024).
Chinese New Year 2024 falls on 10 February, with celebrations lasting for 15 days in China and other Asian countries. The dragon is the fifth in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs.
The stamps
The Chinese symbol for dragon appears on the top left of each of the six stamps, which comprise:
Lucky Number Eight Dragon (GY Letter): the dragon and the number eight represent good fortune in Chinese culture. The dragon’s body is covered in a fiery flame pattern with which it is synonymous.
Fiery Dragon (GY Large Letter): this dragon is adorned with a peony pattern to symbolise wealth and prosperity.
Lucky Lantern Dragon (UK Letter): the dragon holds a lantern with the ‘Fu’ symbol, symbolising good fortune. It is decorated with a scroll pattern inspired by Emperors’ robes.
Auspicious Dragon (EUR Letter): the dragon is flying amongst the full moon adorned with an auspicious cloud pattern.
Mother Dragon (UK Large Letter): this dragon fiercely protects her baby, adorned with plum blossom patterns symbolising resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.
Lucky 88 Dragons (ROW Letter): These dragons represent wealth and good fortune and are adorned with a scroll pattern inspired by Chinese ceramics.
The stamp set includes a souvenir sheet depicting a dragon whose body is filled with a scroll pattern and chrysanthemums to reflect vitality and happiness. It also wears a lucky longevity knot.
Bridget Yabsley, head of philatelic at Guernsey Post said: - “Since our series began in 2014, we have been delighted to celebrate Chinese New Year with our vibrant stamps. In China, colours feature symbolically in ceremonies, festivals, and rituals; Chrissy has carried this through to the stamp designs, which feature red to represent good fortune and joy, whilst gold symbolises wealth, prosperity and happiness.”
The stamp products are available to pre-order from 11 January 2024 at www.guernseystamps.com or by calling Philatelic Customer Services on +44 (0) 1481 716486.