CHICAGO, IL — The Postal Service and the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce will unveil the Year of the Dog stamp at a ceremony at Cai Restaurant on Tuesday, February 20.   The Year of the Dog stamp is the 11th for the 12-stamp, Celebrating Lunar New Year series.   The stamp will be unveiled at 6:00 p.m.   Cai Restaurant is located at 2100 Archer Avenue on the 2nd floor.

Considered the most important holiday of the year for many Asian communities around the world, the Lunar New Year is celebrated primarily by people of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan and Mongolian heritage.

Acting Chicago Postmaster, Wanda Prater will unveil the stamp.  “This stamp is important because it gives the Postal Service a chance to reinforce our commitment to celebrate America’s great diversity through our stamps,” she said.  “As you see these beautiful stamps to mail your letters and packages it is our wish that the ‘Year of the Dog’ brings good health, great joy and much prosperity.”

The Postal Service introduced this Celebrating Lunar New Year series in 2008 and will continue next year with a stamp for the Year of the Boar.   The Year of the Dog stamp is issued as a souvenir sheet of 12 self-adhesive Forever Stamps.

A special pictorial stamp cancellation will also be available for the event and the Year of the Dog sheet of stamps will be available for attendees to purchase.  The stamps can also be purchased at any Post Office.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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