日本妙趣羊年郵票：打了12年的圍巾終於打好了

日本人有給親友送新年賀卡的習俗，因此到了每年這個時候，郵遞員就變得分外忙碌，確保家家戶戶的新年賀卡都能按時送達。新年賀卡上自然也少不了賀年郵票。

日本2003年癸未年的賀年郵票，是一隻綿羊在織毛線；而即將於2015年推出的乙未年賀年郵票上，這隻綿羊已經戴上了織好的圍脖。可以說，這隻郵票上的羊花了12年終於把圍巾給織好了。

When millions of Japanese get their customary New Year's greeting cards Thursday, the sheep that's on the postage stamps will have finished knitting the scarf it began 12 years ago.

padding-bottom: 71%;">

Traditionally, people in Japan send friends, colleagues and relatives, postcards—often hundreds of them—decked with pine trees, cranes and other symbols of good luck to welcome the new year, but also showing the animal of the year, as set by the Asian zodiac.

Although most stores and businesses are closed on Jan 1, mail workers are hard at work, making sure all the cards get delivered.

The sheep is the animal for 2015, heralding a year of harmony as well as possibly meekness, according to astrological storytelling.

In 2003, the stamp on the cards issued by the post office had as its design a fluffy sheep busily knitting a scarf.

This year, it's wearing the scarf, and holding the knitting needles, perhaps a little proudly.

It is not clear what it plans to knit for 2027.