U.S. Postal Service Announces New Stamp Designs

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on Monday unveiled two new stamp designs that will begin circulating next month, one celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah while the other is dedicated to the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa.

The new stamps join the USPS Forever series, meaning they will always be priced at the current price of the 1-ounce first-class stamp. When they are released in September, both stamps will be available for 73 cents individually.

The Hanukkah and Kwanzaa stamps will go on sale before the start of both holiday celebrations. The Hanukkah stamp will go on sale September 1 in Washington, D.C., while the Kwanzaa stamp will go on sale September 15 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“With the issuance of this new stamp, the Postal Service celebrates the joyous holiday of Hanukkah with a charming image of a Hanukkiah, the nine-branched candelabra used during the holiday,” the USPS wrote in the stamp’s description. The stamp shows a lit white Hanukkiah on a light blue background.

Hanukkah will be celebrated between December 25 and January 2, 2025.

The Kwanzaa stamp depicts two black women and a black man dancing on a red and green background. The Kwanzaa holiday, created in 1966 by activist Maulana Karenga, incorporates harvest festival traditions from across the African continent and celebrates African-American culture.

“Centered on the seven founding principles of the holiday – unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba) and faith (imani), the holiday highlights the rich heritage and aspirations of the African American community,” the USPS wrote.

A total of 19 new stamps are planned for 2024, 15 of which have already been issued. These include a stamp dedicated to Betty Ford, wife of 38th President Gerald R. Ford and first lady from 1974 to 1977; another dedicated to the musical style Bluegrass; two commemorating historic photos taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope; and another celebrating civil rights pioneer Constance Baker Motley.

Following Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, two more stamps will be issued before the end of the year. One of them, “Thank You, Medical Community,” will be issued on October 1 in Washington, DC. This stamp, part of the Forever series, is dedicated to the sacrifices and dedication of healthcare professionals in the United States. The healthcare sector employs nearly 16 million people in the country, 80% of whom are women.

The other stamp, “Winter Whimsy,” is a stamp featuring four different snowflake designs on a navy, teal, beige or dark blue-green background. It will be issued informally on October 10 in Park City, Utah.

“The designs evoke not only snowflakes, but also a popular seasonal craft: the fun activity of cutting folded paper with scissors and then opening it to reveal a delicate, symmetrical pattern,” the USPS wrote in the stamp’s description. “The stamps’ lacy designs may evoke memories of fun school crafts. They may also evoke outdoor adventures and the natural beauty of winter.”

The Winter Whimsy stamps are also part of the Forever series and will be issued in booklets of 20 stamps.