I have this thing about rats, and going through an entire Year of the Rat didn't appeal to me. So I decided that, for me, 2008 would be the year of the Parrot.
The box is a combination of origami and tea-bag folding and the folded New Year's card that fits inside is called a throwout. It unfolds into a patterned shape. I first learned about throwouts from Michael Jacobs at the Creative Zone.