CLEMSON — On Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the third of 12 stamps in its Celebrating Lunar New Year series, (art attached) which began in 2008 with the Year of the Rat. The Year of the Tiger begins on Feb. 14, 2010, and ends on Feb. 2, 2011. On the same day, Postmaster Duane Malphrus and employees at the Clemson Post Office will offer a special “Year of the Tiger” postmark to collectors nationwide through the Postal Bulletin. (See art below)

“This stamp and the postmark will appeal to all tiger fans,” said Postmaster Duane Malphrus. “Clemson has a top-notch Ag school and Horticulture Department, so I’m sure they will love the flowers on the stamp as well as our fierce tiger on the postmark.”

NOTE: The beginning date of the Lunar New Year in 2010 has been verified as February 14.

The postmark is free, but must be applied to First-Class postage. Customers may request it at the Clemson Post Office and the Clemson University Station on Thursday, and it will be available by mail until Monday, February 15, 2010 by mail. Requests must be postmarked by Feb. 15, 2010, and sent to: Tiger Postmark, 519 College Av. Clemson, SC 29631.

To commemorate the Year of the Tiger art director Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, MD, and illustrator Kam Mak of Brooklyn, NY, chose narcissus flowers, considered auspicious at any time of year and thus especially appropriate at this time of renewed hope for the future. The illustration was originally created using oil paints on a fiberboard panel.

Kessler’s design also incorporates elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps, using Clarence Lee’s intricate paper-cut design of a tiger and the Chinese character—drawn in grass-style calligraphy by Lau Bun — for "Tiger."

The tiger is the third of twelve animals associated with the Chinese lunar calendar. According to a legend, the animals raced across a river to determine their order in the cycle. The rat crossed by riding on the back of the ox, jumping ahead at the last minute to win the race. The tiger came in after the ox.

People born in the year of a particular animal are said to share characteristics with that animal. Individuals born during the Year of the Tiger are said to be courageous and to possess hidden reserves of strength. They are also thought of as candid yet mysterious. Famous people born in the Year of the Tiger include Marilyn Monroe, Stevie Wonder and Tom Cruise.

The U.S. Postal Service introduced its previous series of Lunar New Year stamps in 1992. The new series, Celebrating Lunar New Year, will continue through 2019 with stamps for the Year of the Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar.

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