2008 Stamps

Nutcrackers, Virgin and Child with the Young John the Baptist join holiday stamp line-up

INDIANAPOLIS, IN —Four different nutcracker designs and the tender relationship between mother and child and a prayerful gesture by a young boy will help deliver joy this holiday season, according to postal officials. The stamps are currently on sale local Post Offices.

Santa, a king, military captain and drummer comprise the Holiday Nutcrackerscommemorative stamps and the Virgin and Child with the Young John the Baptist painting by Italian master Sandro Botticelli. These stamps join the 2008 holiday stamp lineup which include: the Eid Muslim holiday stamp; Kwanzaa  celebration of family, community and culture stamp; and Hanukkah Jewish Festival of Lights stamps.

“We’re pleased to add the Nutcrackers to our stamp program,” said Al Eakle, a spokesman for the Greater Indiana District of the U.S. Postal Service. “As these stamps start to land in mailboxes around the world, they’re sure to add a glimmer of sparkle to the holiday season.”

Nutcrackers have been around for centuries. During the winter holiday season, nutcrackers of all shapes and sizes are familiar sights in toy stores and mantelpieces.

“Four eye-catching nutcracker designs are featured on the stamps,” Eakle added added.

Santa or “Father Christmas” has a lantern in one hand and a snowflake-topped staff in the other. There is a gold and ruby-crowned king, a yellow-jacketed military captain, and a green-garbed drummer with a red drum.

The theme of the Christmas stamp has been the Madonna and Child since 1978. This year’s design has an added twist with the additional figure of John the Baptist. The painting, tempera and oil on wood, by Botticelli dates to around 1490 and is now part of the world-renowned collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Although cropped to fit the stamp format, Virgin and Child with the Young John the Baptist is painted within a round format, or tondo, a popular shape in Italy in the 1400s and 1500s.

The Postal Service has printed more than two billion holiday stamps: More than one billion Holiday Nutcrackers; 600 million Virgin and Child with the Young John the Baptist; 25 million Eid; 35 million Kwanzaa; and 25 million Hanukkah.

The 42-cent holiday stamps are on sale at local Post Offices and can also be purchased online at www.usps.com.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark
Customers can obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, or at The Postal Store web site at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Holiday Nutcrackers Stamps
Postmaster
421 Eighth Ave., Rm. 2029B
New York, NY 10199-9998

Christmas: Virgin and Child With the Young John the Baptist Stamp
Postmaster
421 Eighth Ave., Rm. 2029B
New York, NY 10199-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark.

Orders for the Christmas: Virgin and Child With the Young John the Baptist Stamp must be postmarked by Dec. 23, 2008. Orders for the Holiday Nutcrackers Stamps must be postmarked by Dec. 27, 2008.

How to Order First-Day Covers
Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
US Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO  64121-9014