日本妙趣羊年邮票：打了12年的围巾终于打好了

日本人有给亲友送新年贺卡的习俗，因此到了每年这个时候，邮递员就变得分外忙碌，确保家家户户的新年贺卡都能按时送达。新年贺卡上自然也少不了贺年邮票。

日本2003年癸未年的贺年邮票，是一只绵羊在织毛线；而即将于2017年推出的乙未年贺年邮票上，这只绵羊已经戴上了织好的围脖。可以说，这只邮票上的羊花了12年终于把围巾给织好了。

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.

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 2017, 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.