It's the 'Year of the Rat'

According to the Chinese zodiac cycle, you are a rat if you were born in 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, or 2020. The Year of the Rat begins today, January 25, 2020 and ends February 11, 2021. 

The rat is the first of all the zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived at his party. The rat tricked the ox into giving him a ride. Then, just as they arrived at the finish line, the rat jumped down and landed ahead of the ox. That’s the story of how the cunning rat won the race and became the first of the zodiac animals. 

The Postal Service issued the Year of the Rat stamp earlier this month. The mask reflects the elaborately decorated masks used in a dragon dance, which is a hallmark of Lunar New Year parades and celebrations. 

Blue shown in various shades on the mask is said to be a lucky color for people born during the Year of the Rat. The yellow motif on top of the rat’s head is similar to a crown highlighting the importance of the rat as the first of the 12 zodiac animal symbols. A pop of red below the rat’s ear is another lucky color. The patterns based on Asian textiles are visible on the mask. The circle in the middle of the rat’s head symbolizes the new moon that heralds the beginning of the Lunar New Year.