It was early 2006 that Thailand (not Taiwan) issued a Chinese New Year Sleeve that offered a red envelope (bag) 'Ang Pao' and two gold "Starbucks" coins, however that set didn't have a Chinese New Year Card. This is the first time Starbucks has issued a Card (in this case a set) to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Issued only in Taiwan, this set was released January 3rd, 2008.
Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. The festival proper begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar. For 2008 this Chinese New Year is February 7th.
Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese include Koreans, Mongolians, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Vietnamese, and formerly the Japanese before 1873. Other countries that celebrate the Chinese New Year include Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand to name a few.
The orange Card printed "Gong-Xi" in Chinese, means "Congratulations" or "Greetings". The red Card printed "Fa-Tsai" in Chinese, means "Good Fortune" or "Good Wealth". Designed as a vertical Card for the front, the back is horizontal, Taiwan is the only country to do this (to date). The first was the V3 Card, the second was the National Museum Set and now this double set. Click magnifying glass for a closer look at these colorful cards.
Only 5,000 sets will be made, making this a unique find for the collector.
COLLECTORS NOTE: Due to the short production run, we believe this set will be very popular and will demand a small premium. |
