Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year,  known popularly as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival (simplified Chinese: 春节; traditional Chinese: 春節; pinyin: Chūn Jié). For a number of years, my adopted home of Thailand issued Zodiac stamps usually on January 1 and then a Chinese New Year set (often depicting various deities) a few weeks later. Last year, there was no Chinese New Year stamp and that has been repeated this year as well. Many nations have released Year of the Dog stamps, most with a distinctive Chinese slant, and a few have released issues more focused on the Spring Festival itself. If you are a dog lover, there are some very attractive topical stamps issued so far in 2018. To read more about the background of Chinese New Year, please have a look at my article on A Stamp A Day.

BHUTAN: Year of the Dog, released January 20, 2018

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CANADA: Chinese New Year, released January 15, 2018

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PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: Year of the Dog, released January 5, 2018

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PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: Spring Festival, released January 10, 2018

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CHRISTMAS ISLAND: Year of the Dog, released January 8, 2018

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FRANCE: Happy New Year, released February 2, 2018

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FRENCH POLYNESIA: Year of the Dog, released February 16, 2018

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GIBRALTAR: Year of the Dog, released January 30, 2018

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GUERNSEY: Year of the Dog, released February 3, 2018

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HONG KONG S.A.R., CHINA: Year of the Dog, released January 27, 2018

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INDONESIA: Chinese New Year, released February 1, 2018

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ISLE OF MAN: Year of the Dog, released February 8, 2018

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JERSEY: Year of the Dog, released January 5, 2018

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KAZAKHSTAN: Chinese New Year, released January 1, 2018

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KYRGYZSTAN: Chinese New Year, released January 30, 2018

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MACAU, CHINA: Year of the Dog, released January 5, 2018

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MALAYSIA: Working Dogs, released January 13, 2018

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MONGOLIA: Year of the Dog, released January 5, 2018

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THE NETHERLANDS: Year of the Dog, released January 29, 2018

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NEW CALEDONIA: Year of the Dog, released February 16, 2016

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NEW ZEALAND: Year of the Dog, released January 10, 2018

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SINGAPORE: Year of the Dog (personalized stamps), released January 5, 2018

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SLOVENIA: Year of the Dog, released January 26, 2018

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TAJIKISTAN: Year of the Dog, released January 26, 2018

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THAILAND: Year of the Dog, released January 1, 2018

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UNITED NATIONS: Chinese New Year personalized sheet, released February 2, 2018

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UNITED STATES: Zodiac Year of the Dog, released January 11, 2018

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WALLIS & FUTUNA ISLANDS: Year of the Dog, released February 16, 2018