Notice the usefulness of a companion item when the postmark is not fully visible on one item.
Also, notice how I politely twisted the arm of the open-minded postal associate into providing me more than one instance of the pictorial postmark, adding stamps on the back.
Out of many, at least some postmarks came out visible and complete.
Do you realize that I used OLDER stamps, not the "STUP" [euphemism] kumquats stamps from this year???
"The Chinese Year of the Rabbit ( 兔 ) is actually the Chinese Year of the Hare, as China has seven native species of hares and no native species of rabbits.
The Chinese applied their word for hare to the first rabbits to be taken to China, and the word is now erron[e]ously back-translated into English as rabbit.
The hare is the fourth animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.
The Year of the Hare is associated with the earthly branch symbol 卯."
Not to be outdone, the Vietnamese zodiac takes the error even further, and translates it into Year of the Cat!
"In the related Vietnamese zodiac, the cat takes the place of the hare.[1][2"
"Differences from rabbits
Main article: Rabbit
Hares do not bear their young below ground in a burrow as do other leporids, but rather in a shallow depression or flattened nest of grass called a form.
Hares are adapted to the lack of physical protection, relative to that afforded by a burrow, by being born fully furred and with eyes open.
They are hence able to fend for themselves soon after birth; they are precocial.
By contrast, the related rabbits and cottontail rabbits are altricial, having young that are born blind and hairless.
All rabbits (except the cottontail rabbits) live underground in burrows or warrens, while hares (and cottontail rabbits) live in simple nests above the ground, and usually do not live in groups.
Hares are generally larger than rabbits, with longer ears, and have black markings on their fur.
Hares have not been domesticated, while rabbits are kept as house pets.
There is a domestic pet known as the "Belgian hare", but this is a rabbit that has been selectively bred to resemble a hare.
The hare's diet is similar to the rabbit's.
They are both in the order Lagomorpha.
Hares have been thought to have jointed, or kinetic, skulls, unique among mammals."
So, boys and girls ladies and gentlemen, what did we learn today?
Year of the Hare, not Rabbit.
All domestic lagomorphs are rabbits, not hares.
So my awww-dorable maximum cards are celebrating erroneously the Year of the Rabbit, as the nice pictorial postmark from West Nyack, New York 10994 says.
But I still love those two postcards!
Don't you? Doncha, baby?
If you don't, then you're an...insensitive savage, or something. [ :D :D :D ]
I would like this blogpost (because of the images, not because of my text) to become one of the cutest, loveliest blogposts in the blogsphere, in the history of blogging.
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Happy PFF (Postcard Friendship Friday)!
Please visit: http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ (wait until Beth posts the today's Linky tool for the meme, then make your entry, if you want to join).
wow! what an information. I thought Hare is just a big rabbit, lol!
ReplyDeletefun post.. full of hoppiness ...:D :D :D
ReplyDelete(I'm not fond of the kumquat stamp this year ... ptuii).
As usual Dorin, thank you for providing an intelligent and thought provoking post. I too was not thrilled with the kumquats or whatever they were.
ReplyDeleteYour cards are cute and lovely, and sweet and adorable! :) :)
ReplyDeletelove the cards and that cancellation. I had no idea of the difference between the two. Thanks for clearing that up. Now I just need the right trivia question to be asked....
ReplyDeleteA rabbit or a hare? HMMM Happy PFF and thanks for stopping by my blog.
ReplyDeleteJudy
Your post is cute and adorable and you are a fine teacher - now if I could just remember all of that wonderful information! So the little bunnies that dine in the flower and veggie gardens are rabbits for sure? Have a great weekend, Dorin!
ReplyDeleteThat postmark is just amazing. And I am partial to pigs, so this entry makes my day!
ReplyDeletelovely cards and as always, great information...thanks for sharing! btw, just followed you and visiting you from postcard friendship friday. have a great weekend! :)
ReplyDelete