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Chinese Year of the Snake celebrated on stamps

IOMPO Two rows of the four stamps, which feature a woman playing a lute with her arm as a snake on a pink background , a gold snake wrapped around a tree with the Manx triskellion on the snake on a green background, a Chinese lantern with a golden snake on it on a dark blue background, and a snake wrapped around a woman's arm as she reaches out to a water lily on a light blue background.IOMPO
The collection was illustrated by local artist Jo Davies

A series of new stamps inspired by the Year of the Snake has been released to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

The four-stamp collection centres on the traditions associated with it, expressing the themes of harmony, prosperity, hope and renewal.

Illustrated by artist Jo Davies for the Isle of Man Post Office, the collection includes a lute, a plum, a lantern festival, and water lily.

The Lunar New Year, also known as China's Spring Festival, is one of the biggest celebrated points of the Chinese calendar.

The holiday falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, 21 December, and this year will be celebrated on 29 January.

Davies said it had been "fascinating" to learn more about the symbols and meanings associated with the celebration of the Chinese lunar New Year.

IOMPO The four stamps together on a dark pink background next to an illustration of a snake wrapped around branch with blossom on it. It also features the words Year of the Sank in gold lettering along with Chinese writing.IOMPO
The illustrations were inspired by the traditions of the Chinese New Year

The collection includes depictions of the lantern festival to represent hope, as well as illustrations of a snake, featuring with the Manx triskelion, wrapped around a plum tree to symbolise prosperity.

The set also features a snake next to a water lily representing life and re-birth, and the Pipa, which is a Chinese lute, to symbolise balance and joy.

The post office's general manager for stamps and coins Maxine Cannon said the Chinese zodiac of the snake was "associated with traits such as charm, whit and sociability".

"We were so pleased to see Jo brig these to life on these new illustrations", she added.

Ms Davies also created the designs for the 2024 stamp collection marking the year of the dragon.

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