Canadian stamp collector Gary Norris shows the stamps and collectibles of the Year of the Rat that he purchased on Jan 16 in Toronto. RENA\CHINA DAILY

Canada Post has issued two stamps celebrating the Year of the Rat, representing the first year in the Lunar New Year cycle and the final issue in a second 12-year series honoring the annual Chinese festival.

The Year of the Rat begins on Jan 25 and ends on February 11, 2021. A symbol of fertility and intelligence, the rat is said to confer great cunning, tact and vitality on those born under its sign.

Designed by Albert Ng and Seung Jai Paek, of Albert Ng and Associates, the stamps portray the traditional story of the rat's daughter's wedding in the style of folk art known as Chinese farmer painting. The Permanent domestic-rate stamp depicts the bride on route to her nuptials, while the International-rate stamp reveals the happily married couple.

The stamps and are available on Jan 17, in Permanent domestic- and International-rate booklets, as well as a gummed pane of 25 domestic-rate stamps framed by four Chinese blessings. Philatelic collectibles include an unsealed, International-rate Official First Day Cover suitable for use as a "money envelope" for traditional gift-giving.