FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	
Contact: Media Relations	202-268-2155
December 30, 2003
	Stamp News Release No. 72
	www.usps.com

STUNNING 2005 LUNAR NEW YEAR 
SOUVENIR SHEET UNVEILED IN HONOLULU

HONOLULU, Hawaii - At a ceremony here last night, Postmaster 
General John E. Potter gave a preview of the Lunar New Year 
Commemorative Stamps Souvenir Sheet, the grand finale of the 
award-winning Lunar New Year stamp series, to be available in 
2005. 

The Lunar New Year Commemorative Stamp Souvenir Sheet is a 
stunning compilation of the Lunar New Year stamps - from the 
Year of the Rooster (1992) through the Year of the Monkey (to 
be issued Jan. 13, 2004) - displayed on a bed of bright 
orange. The words "Happy New Year" are found in English across 
the top of the Souvenir Sheet, and the words "Lunar New Year" 
are displayed in Lau Bun's grass-style Chinese calligraphy 
down the left side.

"It has been a great honor for us to celebrate the twelve 
years of the Zodiac with the remarkable stamps designed by 
artist Clarence Lee," said Potter. "The rich, multi-cultural 
heritage of Asian-Americans contributes substantially to 
America, and is an important and fascinating part of the 
history of our comparatively young nation."

Stamp designer Clarence Lee commemorates this unique Zodiac 
using intricate paper-cut designs to honor each animal 
mentioned in an ancient Chinese New Year fable. According to 
the fable, every animal was told to report to the emperor on 
the first day of the new year, and the first twelve to reach 
the palace were to be rewarded with a year named after them. 
And so, the Rooster, Dog, Boar, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, 
Snake, Horse, Ram and Monkey, each with its own distinctive 
characteristics and fate, came to symbolize a year in the 
Zodiac.

To view an image of the Lunar New Year Souvenir Sheet, visit 
the Postal Store online at www.usps.com/shop. Simply click on 
"Release Schedule" in the Collector's Corner.

Current U.S. stamps, as well as a free comprehensive catalog, 
are available by toll-free phone order at 1 800 STAMP-24. A 
selection of stamps and other philatelic items are also 
available at the online Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop. In 
addition, beautifully custom-framed prints of original stamp 
art are available at www.postalartgallery.com. 

Since 1775, the U.S. Postal Service has connected friends, 
families, neighbors and businesses by mail. An independent 
federal agency, the Postal Service visits 141 million homes 
and businesses every day and is the only service provider to 
deliver to every address in the nation. The Postal Service 
receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but 
derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of 
postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more 
than $68 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mail 
and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable 
postage rates in the world. Today's postage rates will remain 
stable until at least 2006. The Postal Service delivers more 
than 43 percent of the world's mail volume - some 202 billion 
letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year - and 
serves 7 million customers each day at its 38,000 retail 
locations nationwide.

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