Year of the Pig
Feb 9th, 2007, in News, by PatungIt’s almost Chinese Year of the Pig but the matter is causing confusion for the Indonesian postal service.
To celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Pig, come Chinese New Year on the 18th of February, Indonesia Post is issuing a series of twelve stamps featuring all the animals of the Chinese zodiac – minus the pig. Each animal in the zodiac has its own stamp except the pig, which has been replaced by a stamp featuring a Chinese temple surrounded by twelve small versions of the zodiac animals.
The stamps are said to be the first ever issued to mark the Lunar Year in Indonesia since a national holiday was declared for the day in 2000 and are due to be released on February 14th.
Indonesia Post director Hana Suryana says afp:
Indonesia never outwardly printed anything on this theme. It is difficult for us not to issue the Chinese New Year stamps especially after the revisions (in the design).
Apparently there was some reluctance about printing the stamp at all, pig or no pig.
Not like this, a Chinese Year of the Pig Stamp from Hong Kong.
35 Comments on “Year of the Pig”
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Janma says:
I heard that china has forbidden images of pigs on their tv for the entire year of the pig, so as not to offend Muslims. That just makes me mad! For god’s sake grow up people! It’s ok if you don’t want to eat pig. I understand, but what is the problem with a bloody picture of a pig? I ask you?
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Ihaknt says:
Janma, are you sure it’s in China? I would think Muslims would be the minority there. Anyway, I am a Muslim, but I think pigs are cute – although dirty, stinky – and they are also an animal that God created, so I personally won’t find it offensive…I mean, seriously, it’s just a pig.
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TheWrathOfGrapes says:
http://sg.fullcoverage.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070202/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_china_pigs
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Chinese state television will censor advertisements featuring pigs in order not to offend Muslims in the Year of the Pig, a media company said on Friday.
“Originally they didn’t want pig images in ads on TV, because they worry about conflicting issues with Muslims in China,” said Lisa Wei, managing director of media investment firm GroupM China Trading.
An official at the censorship department of China’s Central Television denied knowledge of the advertising ban.
The new regulations would kick in as the Year of the Pig begins on February 18, CCTV had told Wei’s firm last week, prompting clients to request longer time to prepare for the new rules.
Marketing of Procter & Gamble’s Nanfu-brand batteries had been affected by the new censorship rules, as had commercials for products made by Nestle, the world’s largest food group, industry sources said.
There are an estimated 20 million Muslims in China, mainly living in the central and western provinces.
“I feel that when CCTV decided to do this, it is for the purpose of ethnic harmony and unity. This is a good thing,” Bai Runsheng, the chairman of the Shanghai Islamic Association, told Reuters.
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Pah, it’s political correctness gone overboard. So what’s next? No Christmas tree or decorations so it won’t ‘offend’ the Muslim? Oh hang on that’s also been done in Australia (Sydney) in 2005! Why so sensitive?
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Andrew says:
I’m surprised that China does that. It has been a tradition for several thousand years, and it has nothing to do with offending others.
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Rockstar says:
Guys at least the intention is good.
You can’t expect everything happens in one night. 🙂 -
Dimp says:
I wonder what Porky Pig and Miss Piggy have to say about this.
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Robert says:
Guys at least the intention is good.
What good intention? It is Chinese tradition, why should other people be offended then?
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sgn says:
I was born in the year of Pig.
Why don’t people be happy with me?Happy Lunar New Year in advance.
From the cold place,
sgn. -
Julita says:
Very interesting, they do care about people’s feeling especially about religious people. I hope this will improve, because I heard is not good at all.
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Ali says:
It is interesting to see how tolerant “the world” is towards those who are less tolerant.
🙂
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Miss Indo 07 says:
It’s just weird to see ppl feel offended by a picture of pig hehe,,
because i even have some Muslim friends who eat porks *even though that makes we feel strange as well*
And the news that China ban all pigs’ pic n ads,,that’s new for me,,
because as far as i know,,almost all food in china contains porks,,
or maybe from now on,,they also ban all the porky foods?
i wish they did that 2years ago when i study there,,so i wouldn’t get all these fat with me haha ^^ -
Madesh says:
Pig is a creature and one of God’s creations like human being.
So why should some people hate the pig?
Do they look like pig so they feel offended by a picture of pig? -
Hi Madesh,
you are too far. 😉Hi All,
When I was in the first year of my study at ITB, I got an assignment to write a paper. I went to the library and found a very interesting textbook.Believe it or not, according to that text book, the composition of pig’s milk is the nearest to our mom’s breast milk.
And for those like to eat “bak mie” (in restaurants, food courts or even “pedagang keliling”), 99.99% you have tested pig/pork.
sgn.
________________
Miss Indo 07, ni hao.
Miss Indo 07 Says:
i wish they did that 2years ago when i study there,,so i wouldn’t get all these fat with me haha ^^Which part of pork did you eat? Look at this…
http://www.albertapork.ca/health_nutrition/health_nutrition_you/01.php
Pork’s Impressive Nutritional Profile
When it comes to healthy eating, pork gets top marks!BTW, I don’t eat pork. I eat delicious meats (it can be chicken, beef, deer, pork, …)
sgn
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It is so amazing to see these people think twice when they are issuing pig stamps, but at the same time, did not flinch a bit when they corruption the money, or maybe rape Chinese girl, or loot things that are not belong to them.
Maybe eating/seeing pork is a worse sin than raping someone?
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Orgindo, you are talking about values.
For us, 2 plus 2 is 4 that’s the number of legs a pig has.
For them, 2 plus 2 is 3 (one corrupted), then a pig with 4 legs is becoming haram/illegal.
Anyway we have got to be tolerant to whoever has different values. -
Madesh, I am confused. If we used the same calculation, then any 4-legged animals can become haram. Cows, cats, rabbits, etc. What do you mean by that?
Pigs were made haram due to the environment they were in when the so-called ‘laws’ were passed on. They ate rubbish, left-over food, rolled around in mud (their own crap) and they were dirty, that’s why they were made haram. These days they are still dirty and eat rubbish. But many pig farms now are also cleaner compare to those days when the ‘laws’ were made. It’s just stupid to think that a picture (not even a real one but a cartoon piggy) may offend a Muslim. As someone said earlier, why do people need to be tolerant to people who are very well-known are not so tolerant themselves?! It’s a picture of a pig for God’s sake!
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Don’t be confused bro
I said it is about value. I mean, they are expecting us to accept their value that is doing corruption (2 plus 2 is 3) is halal, on the other hand they have no choice as there should be some other value that is haram which is 2 plus 2 is 4It has nothing to do with what pigs eat.
If we want to know which animal eat the worst food, it should be sea creatures then. As all sewerage have gone into the sea since then and the sea creatures live and eat from it. -
MMM…bacon and seafood. They’re great combo. Now, you’re making me hungry.
It’s not always what the pigs eat, but it is the environment it’s in. Lots of worms in their belly and they come from the rubbish. -
The end of dump of all the rubbish and sewerage will be the sea.
But why there is no fatwa saying that seafood is haram.Btw, frankly speaking I do not like pork.
I’ll go shopping this afternoon to buy some pig meat instead. -
Huh? Pork comes from pig. Bacon is the best part of a pig. Yum!
I don’t think there is a fatwa but I have heard occasionally that Muslim are advised not to eat crustaceans.
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This is a true story…. It was not in Indonesia.
My friend (a non believer) invited me and other friend (he is from Bangladesh) for a dinner. He ordered all the foods.
After almost finished, he asked the Bangladeshi how the foods were. The Bangladeshi said they are delicious especially this (pointing to a specific meat). That’s frog meat. ….. “Alhamdullilah, God allowed me to taste the frog” screamed the Bangladeshi.
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SGN, what has this got to do with anything? Heheheh
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Another true story that made me regret.
We (four of us) were in Jakarta for a training. We went to a small restaurant, and each of us ordered our own dishes. We all agreed that all dishes we ordered were delicious.
One of my friends – who ordered fried rice – was doubt if he got pork on his rice. I asked him to let me try his fried rice. I tried it…. and he asked me what kind of meat that was. ……. “Hm….. it tastes like …… deer meat”.
Oh dear, he stopped eating.
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Hi sgn,
Deer meat, yum, I love all kind of meat, in fact I am a member of PETA (People Eat Tasty Animals).
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Deer meat is tender and very lean. It’s better than beef. Yum. Dimp, how do I apply to become a member? Yum!
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Well, I think at that time my friend interpreted my answer wrongly. Because “deer” is not a common. So he might think that I was referring to pork.
I got this from my friend”¦ Don’t take it so serious, okay?
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Wish all a Happy Lunar New Year!!
Gong Xi Fa Cai”¦.!!
HAPPY!! HAPPY!!
Human = eat + sleep + work + enjoy
Pigs = eat + sleep
Hence, Human = Pigs + work + enjoy
if, Human – enjoy = Pigs + work
in other words,
Human that don’t know enjoy = pigs that workMen = eat + sleep + earn money
Pigs = eat + sleep
Hence, Men = Pigs + earn money
if Men – earn money = Pigs
in other words,
Men that don’t earn money = PigsWomen = eat + sleep + spend
Pigs = eat + sleep
Hence, Women = Pigs + spend
if, Women – spend = Pigs
In other words,
Women that don’t spend = PigsSummary:
Men earn money not to let women become pigs!
Women spend not to let men become pigs!Men + Women = 2 Pigs
Wish all the pigs happy forever. -
SGN are you on drugs? 😀
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Today is still as yesterday…. It’s cold …. below 5 deg C. So I need some fun, here.
Talking about “drug”……
I (and my cousin) was in Vancouver downtown, when two teenagers approached and asked me: where the drug store is. I was surprised, I thought they were looking for “narkoba”. My cousin told me that they were looking for a pharmacy.Oh….
In vancouver, you will find “Drugs Store”, but no pharmacy or apotheek.
Oh….
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Aiyah, want to do it, go the whole hog lah.