Stamp Issues Kick Off Holiday Season

Pembroke Pines FL — The Postal Service is preparing for the holidays with several new stamps now available at your local Post Office.

Thanksgiving Day Parade
Gobble up commemorative stamps in four designs featuring iconic scenes inspired by America’s variety of holiday celebrations, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. These four stamps illustrate a lively marching band, large balloons of favorite animals and popular characters, and crowds of delighted onlookers.

Observed the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving is a traditional day of togetherness, when Americans of all backgrounds gather to reflect on the events of the past and give thanks for all they presently enjoy, especially family and friends. Held in large cities and small towns throughout the U.S., Thanksgiving Day parades have been an important part of this tradition since the early 20th century.

Winter Holidays
The Winter Holidays stamps add a festive touch to letters and cards sent to family and friends. They feature a reindeer, snowman, gingerbread man, and toy soldier. A merry reindeer dangles a red bulb ornament from his antler. Flurries of large flakes dust a snowman sporting a top hat, coal buttons, and a carrot nose. The gingerbread man is decorated for the season with green, red, and white icing. The toy soldier smiles while standing at attention. Borders of evergreens, stars, wreaths, and holly add another holiday touch to the stamps.

Madonna and Child Since 1978, the theme of each “traditional” Christmas stamp has been the Madonna and Child. The 2009 Christmas stamp features Madonna and Sleeping Child, a painting by Italian artist Giovanni Battista Salvi (1609-1685), more commonly known as Sassoferrato. The painting is in the collection of Hearst Castle in California. The issuance of the stamp coincides with the 400th anniversary of the birth of the artist. The painting depicted on the stamp shows a blond Madonna clothed in red and cradling the sleeping Christ Child in purple cloth. From each of the two top corners, the childlike face of a cherub looks down from the clouds.

Hanukkah
The new 2009 Hanukkah design features a photograph of a menorah with nine lit candles.

Spanning eight days and nights, Hanukkah is a joyous yearly festival celebrated by Jews around the world. The holiday commemorates the successful revolt of the Jews led by Judah Maccabee against the oppressive government of Antiochus IV and the Seleucid Empire in 165 B.C.E.

Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for "dedication." Tradition relates how a miracle took place during the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, which had been desecrated. The remaining supply of sacramental oil, thought to be enough for only one day, burned for eight days.

Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a non-religious holiday that takes place over seven days from December 26 to January 1. Kwanzaa draws on African traditions and takes its name from the phrase for "first fruits" in Swahili, a widely-spoken African language. The bold colors in the stamp art are complemented in the top right corner by the colors of the Kwanzaa flag — green for growth, red for blood, and black for the African people. The field of green around the borders symbolizes growth and a bountiful harvest. The hoop that the girl holds in her hands, as well as in the family grouping of mother, father, and child, symbolizes unity.

Eid
The Eid (usually pronounced “eed”) stamp commemorates the two most important religious festivals in the Islamic calendar. Muslim consultants and experts in Islamic studies helped design the stamp. The phrase featured in calligraphy on the stamp reads “eid mubarak,” which translates literally as “blessed festival” and which is usually interpreted as “may your religious holiday be blessed.” The first Eid stamp was issued in 2001.