1995-01, Year of Pig《乙亥年-猪》

Stamp Title: Year of Pig
Serial number: 1995-1
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: January 5, 1995
Designers: Wu Jiankun; Yang Wenqing
Engravers: Hu Zhenyuan
Size: 26*31mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 32
Printing process: gravure-engraving combined

The order of years in the ancient China was composed of Tian Gan , the ten Heavenly Stems of Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren and Gui in combination with the Twelve Earthly Branches of Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu and Hai to form 60 groups including Jia Zi, Yi Chou, and Bing Yin, Which are called “60 Jia Zi” meaning a cycle of 60 years.

The ancient Chinese wizards used 12 animals to match the twelve Earthly Branches, Zi stands for rat, Chou for cattle, Yin for tiger, Mao for rabbit, Chen for dragon, Si for snake, Wu for horse, Wei for sheep, Shen for monkey, You for chicken, Xu for dog, and Hai for pig. such saying started in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), and later generations used one of the twelve animals, representing the twelve Earthly Branches to symbolize the year in which they were born. For example, those who were born in the year of zi would say their symbolized animal was mouse, those who were born in the year of shen had symbolized animal of monkey, and those who were born in the year of Hai attached to themselves to pig.

The “60 Jia Zi” and “12 animals”, which represent the 12 earthly Branches, used to symbolize the year in which a person is born, have remained in the Chinese history for a long period of time, and become part of people customs and habits as well as an important part of the traditional Chinese culture, Although China has adopted the way of numbering the years according to the Christian era, the traditional Chinese calendar still keeps the way of numbering the years according to the “60 Jai zi”. To a person with the Chinese blood relationship, the symbolized animal of the year, when he was born, is a special mark throughout his life.

A.D. 1995 is the year of Yi Hai, according to the “60 Jia zi “, and stands for pig. Therefore, it is also called the “Year of Pig”.

国家邮政局1995年1月5日发行《乙亥年-猪》特种邮票1套2枚。
（2-1）T 肥猪拱门 20 分 10006.5万枚
（2-2）T 喜迎新春 50 分 8062.5万枚
志号名称：1995-1T
版别：影写、雕刻
整版枚数：32 枚
全套面值：0.70元
邮票规格：26 × 31毫米
齿孔度数：11.5度
印制机构：北京邮票厂
设计者：吴建坤、杨文洁
雕刻者：呼振源、阎炳武

中国传统农历年按天干、地支顺序循环相配，组成“六十甲子”。乙亥年俗称“猪年”。 这年出生的人属猪。
1995年1月5日，为了迎接“乙亥年”的到来，邮电部发行了《乙亥年》特种邮票，全套2枚。
以一只稚拙可爱的小猪和农家窗纸上的“猪”字为邮票图案。肥猪拱门的图案为民间布玩具。通过视角选择将小猪拱肩、探首、耸鼻、尧嘴等关键拱门姿态刻画的栩栩如生，呼之欲出。喜迎新春的图案是勾以白边的黑色隶书书“猪”字的窗纸，窗格呈桔红色洋溢着欢快，祥和。“双猪图”的窗花寓意着畜业兴旺。