THE YEAR OF THE RAT

According to the Chinese calendar, the year 2559 is The Year of  The Rat which falls on 7 February 2008 and will end on 25 January 2009. Chinese believe that this year has the Earth element, which makes this year The Year of The Earth Rat.

The Rat zodiac starts the 12-animal cycle in the Chinese calendar. As the first year of the cycle, it is a time of renewal in so many ways. The Year of The Rat is  time of hard work and full of activities. This is the best time to starts new ventures, including new ideas, directions, and ways of doing things. It is a time to experiment and put plans into action, as there will be plenty of opportunities to achieve success.

Chinese astrology teaches that o succeed the year people shall make the most of every new effort and be patient to give things time to develop. One thing to consider is that  anything begins now is likely to have long-term consequences. Therefore choose everything wisely. According to the astrology, it is a good year to  get married, start a new job, launch a new product or start new activities.

People born in the year of the earth rat are said to be logical realist, smart, charming, ambitious, and imaginative. People under this zodiac are considered courageous and enterprising persons.  They are clever and bright, friendly and family-minded. Having broad interest and strong ability in adapting to the environment, they are able to react adequately to any change. Chinese say others should always listen to the advice of them. Because of their intellect and observatory powers, they possess prudence and perseption. They can anticipate problems and are always able to see the big picture. Status, money, title and recognition are important to them. They have keen sense of observation that allowing them to foresee upcoming business opportunities as well as potential occupational problems. They work better in flexible situations where they can be freely creative.

In celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year as well as a sequence of Chinese Zodiac Signs Special Stamp issuance, The Directorate General of Posts and Telecommunications, Department of Communication and Information issues The Year of the Rat stamp series on 26 January 2008. The stamp designs feature four beautiful illustrations of the animal including a circular souvenir sheet printed in only black.