The Year of the Rat is coming soon.

Many postal offices around the world have released commemorative stamps for the approaching Year of the Rat.

The Rat is the first of all Chinese zodiac animals. In a Chinese myth, the Jade Emperor hosted a party, that aimed to set the order of Zodiac animals on the lunar calendar by the animal's arrival time.

The Rat tricked the Ox into offering him a ride, but jumped down ahead of the Ox at the finish line. The Rat finished first; the Ox was relegated to second position of the Zodiac.