Marcel Granger - CHINESE LUNAR YEARS

Série de timbres du Canada sur les années lunaires chinoises en français

Page created on : April 28, 2001
Last updated : September 28, 2007

> Canada stamps / Chinese Lunar years

Lunar New Year celebrations have existed for 2,500 years since the time of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. Today, they continue to be an important element of Chinese culture. In a popular Chinese legend, Buddha once summoned all the amimals to meet him before he departed from Earth, but only twelve animals came to bid him farewell. Each year of the Chinese calendar is ruled by one of these twelve animals, representing one in a cycle of twelve years. It is said that each person has traits and qualities governed by his or her animal birth sign.