Chinese New Year's Eve

It is the last day of the Year of the Horse today. The Chinese New Year's Eve marks the beginning of the Spring Festival, which traditionally runs from this last day of the last month of the lunar calendar to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month. It is a public holiday in many places with ethnic Chinese populations such as Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia where celebrations are already underway due to the time difference.

Outgoing postcard US-3224033 to Taiwan was a maxi card showing a pair of horses, part the "Year of the Horse" art installation at The Palazzo's Waterfall Atrium and Gardens in 2014, with a commemorative the Year of the Horse Forever stamp and a bullseye postmark.

From Snake, to Horse, and to Ram

Postcard US-2651107 to Taiwan was initially one of the Year of the Snake maxi cards enclosed in an envelop with the Year of the Horse Forever stamps. The envelop was sent in with other the Year of the Horse cards for a first-day-of-issue postmark in early 2014. The envelop seemed to be lost in the mail. This the Year of the Ram maxi card was sent as a replacement on February 7, 2015 when the Year of the Ram Forever stamp was first issued. It finally arrived two days before it would have expired permanently after "traveling" for a full year.

The Spring Comes in Full Form

It is still officially in winter. However, with a forecast high temperature at 72°F or 22°C in Las Vegas for tomorrow, it certainly feel like spring already. To commemorate the incoming Year of the Ram, The Venetian and The Palazzo have put out a Chinese New Year art installation at the Waterfall and Atrium Gardens, featuring three life-size rams. A ram is an intact male sheep. Eight additional sheep adorned with fleece of fresh carnations are spotted around the waterfall. In the photo below, a horse and a sheep are seen together, symbolizing the transition from the Year of the Horse (2014) to the Year of the Ram (2015).

Postcard TW-1478246 from Taiwan shows three goats in a water color painting. Sheep is of the genus Ovis while Goat is a member of genus Capra. Sheep have wool while goats have hairs. According to Yahoo Answers, "the easiest way to tell a sheep from a goat is by their tails. In goats their tails point up toward the sky. In sheep, they hang down, pointed at the ground."

It's the Journey that Counts

Postcard US-2692599 to Japan shows a 16-foot or 4.9-meter horse, centerpiece of the "Year of the Horse" art installation at The Palazzo's Waterfall Atrium and Gardens, commemorating Chinese New Year that begins on January 31, 2014. Having since concluded on February 16, 2014, there were eight hand-sculpted and hand-painted horses throughout the display. The photo was taken on January 20, 2014.

However, after I sent the card in for the first-day-of-issue postmark, it was returned to me on April 11, 2014 without cancellation. I had addressed the card to Japan with adequate international postage and asked it to be released for mailing.

I added an apology on the card for not being able to secure a first-day-of-issue postmark and re-posted it on the same day on April 11, 2014. A message came on September 1, 2014: "The postcard US-2692599 you sent to marie1112 in Japan was registered by Postcrossing. The account of the receiver was closed and for this reason the postcard was automatically registered."

I am not sure why this card did not get the first-day-of-issue postmark, and I don't know if the card reached the receiver before she closed her account. But, I tried.

Kõpu Lighthouse, Estonia

Postcard EE-185518 from Estonia shows the Kõpu Lighthouse on the island of Hiiumaa in Estonia. One of the best known landmarks in the country, it is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world and has been in continuous use since 1531.

The 36-meter or 118-foot tall lighthouse, built on top of the highest hillock Tower Hill, marks the Hiiu sandbank. At the altitude of 102 meters or 337 feet above the sea level, its light can be seen from as far as 26 nautical miles, or 48 kilometers or 30 miles away. It is the highest coastal light on the Baltic Sea.

What special about this lighthouse was its solid base when originally built. Keepers had to use external wooden stairs to reach the top of the lighthouse. A staircase was embedded into the tower during reconstruction in the 1800s.

The postcard has a 2014 the Year of the Horse stamp issued by Estonia Post.

Happy New Year of the Horse from Christmas Island

Postcard AU-342883 from Australia commemorates the first-day-of-issue Year of the Horse 2014 stamp by Australian Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island. The island, named as such because it was discovered on Christmas Day, has a population of 2,072  as of 2011 with 70% Chinese, 20% European/Australian, and 10% Malay.

The island's isolated location and minimal human disturbance in history have resulted in a high level of endemism among its flora and fauna where many species are unique. Currently 63% of its 135 square kilometers or 52 square miles total area are protected as an Australian National Park. Primary monsoonal forests are the major eco-systems.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) operates one of the Australian immigration detention facilities on Christmas Island that has attracted a lot of attentions during the on-going refugee and immigration controversies.

Horses for Courses

Another Chinese New Year themed postcard from Singapore yesterday, exactly one year after receiving the "Snakes and Ladders" postcard. "Horses for Courses" is the latest annual exhibition opened at the beginning of every Chinese New Year by the Singaporean Philatelic Museum. For the Year of the Horse, it explores the history and development of horses from the early wild years to present day’s highly selective breeds.

As the horse’s path parallels man’s civilization, horses had a special place in the postal history as well. Letters and parcels were delivered by post men on horseback or drawn carriages. Through philatelic materials and objects, "Horses for Courses" takes visitors on a journey discovering the myths, legends, art and hobby to reveal the importance of this noble and strong creature.

The exhibition runs from January 31 to August 26, 2014. if you have a horse-themed postcard, you can send it to:

Singapore Philatelic Museum
23-B Coleman Street
Singapore 179807
Singapore

Make sure to include your return address. The museum will send a postcard back.

Chinese New Year in the Desert

Postcard US-2615407 to Germany shows a Chinese New Year themed card with a horse in traditional Chinese art. As the Year of the Horse celebration runs from January 31, 2014 (Spring Festival) to February 14, 2014 (Lantern Festival), downtown Las Vegas is marking the occasion with an international food vendor village, live ice sculpture demonstrations, and special performances on the 3rd Street Stage at the Fremont Street Experience during the 3rd Chinese New Year in the Desert festival this weekend from February 7 to February 9, 2014. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman kicked-off the festival during the opening ceremony yesterday.

Dragon dance by the Las Vegas Lohan School of Shaolin on February 7, 2014

Live ... Like Someone Left the Gate Open

Postcard US-2598772 to Latvia just arrived in time on the first day in the Year of the Horse.  Horse (馬) is one of the 12-year cycle of animals, in the order of the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig, which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Horse starts on January 31, 2014, and ends on February 18, 2015.

While the Horse represents animated, active and energetic characteristics, the Year of the Horse marks a time with conflicts and challenges that has to be met with endurance, hard work, and persistence. As President Obama noted in his State of Union address, it is a "Year of Action" that will result to a "Year of Progress".

Now, the gate is open ...

In the Chinese New Year display, Seven life-size horses running around a three-tier mountain with a majestic gold stallion on the top in the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens at Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The total number of eight represents good fortune in Chinese culture.

Year of the Horse

Postcard JP-412981 arrived after 218 days. Actually, the first card was sent around June 12, 2013 and it got lost. The sender was kind enough to send this second card. And it's the first postcard with the Year of the Horse theme. The Horse (馬) is one of the 12-year cycle of animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese/Lunar Calendar. The Year of the Horse starts on January 31, 2014 and ends on February 18, 2015.

Orchid Island Scenery of Taiwan

Postcard TW-1105414 from Taiwan shows a beautiful sunset view of Orchid Island (蘭嶼), a volcanic island in Taitung County off the southeastern coast of Taiwan. The island is home to the aboriginal Tao (達悟族), an ethnic minority group who migrated to the island from the Batan Archipelago 800 years ago. Out of a total current population of 4,000, approximately 2,400 belong to the aboriginal Tao, who are Austronesian people linguistically and culturally closer to the Ivatan people of the Batanes islands in the Philippines. The rest 1,600 are Han Chinese.

The island has been a nuclear waste storage site at its southern tip since 1982, with 100,000 barrels of nuclear waste from Taiwan's three nuclear power plants. Following years of protests by local residents since 2002, demands to remove the nuclear waste have intensified after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011.

The card came with a newly issued the Year of the Horse stamp by the Chunghwa POST.