New issue to honor Year of the Ram

It's the Year of the Ram.
According to the Chinese Lunar calendar, the celebration for the New Year begins Feb. 1, 2003, and ends Jan. 21, 2004. To hail the celebration, the U.S. Postal Service will issue a 37-cent stamp on Jan. 15 -- the 11th stamp in the award-winning series for the Lunar New Year.
This series began in 1993 with the issuance of the Year of the Rooster stamp, followed by stamps for the Year of the Dog, Boar, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake and Horse.
Stamp designer Clarence Lee has created an intricate paper-cut design of the ram for this year's illustration. The Chinese characters on the stamp translate into "Year of the Ram." The greeting "Happy New Year" in English appears at the top right. "USA 37" is at the bottom right.
Observed by people of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan and Mongolian heritage, the traditional Chinese New Year marks the beginning of a new season for a prosperous future.
It is interesting to note that Chinese tradition says people born in the Year of the Ram are said to be fond of nature and are often happiest in a tranquil and secure environment.
In 1992, the USPS requested that Clarence Lee design a stamp to commemorate the Chinese Lunar New Year for issuance in 1993. He did, and it was for the Year of the Rooster. Each year since, Lee has placed his artistic touch on the popular series.
Lee is an American of Chinese descent, born in Honolulu. He graduated from Yale's School of Art and Architecture in 1958. First-day-of-issue covers for the 2003 Lunar New Year stamp are available from the Stamp Fulfillment Services of the Postal Service by calling (800) STAMP-24 after Jan. 15.
History
"The First Americans Crossed over from Asia."
These are the words that appear on a 4-cent U.S. stamp issued in 1989. According to the U.S. Postal Service, Asians crossed over the Bering Land Bridge which is believed to be a continent-sized land mass connecting Asia to North America, but now lies at the bottom of the Bering Sea. The people who crossed over were called Eskimos.
The Arctic people in Alaska generally prefer the name Eskimo, while those in Canada and Greenland prefer Inuit.
The design of the stamp features the original settlers looking over the new land.
1970 campaign
Did you know that the United States issued a set of four 6-cent stamps in 1970 dedicated to a continuing anti-pollution campaign?
The stamps were labeled: "Save Our Soil" -- showing a globe and a wheat field, "Save our Cities" -- displaying a globe and a city playground, "Save Our Water" -- featuring a globe and a fish and "Save Our Air" which had a globe and a seagull.