Annual holiday stamps are available now
Annual holiday stamps are available now at local post offices. Choices include a set of four holiday baubles, the Madonna of the Candelabra, and Hanukkah. All are forever stamps and are available for 44 cents each.
The Holiday Baubles stamp, in four designs, are sold in a pressure-sensitive adhesive booklet of 20 stamps. The cheery holiday stamps feature festive baubles, which were inspired by styles from the 1950s. 600 million stamps have been printed.
The Madonna of the Candelabra by Raphael stamp is also available in booklets of 20 stamps. This Christmas stamp features a detail from a work by the Italian master Raphael. The circular painting dates to around 1513 and is now in the collection of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, MD. 600 million stamps have been printed.
The festive Hanukkah stamp commemorates the Jewish Festival of Lights. Bright colors express the joyful spirit of the holiday, and the eight shapes behind the letters that spell out Hanukkah symbolize the eight days and nights of the celebration. The second k appears on the silhouette of a dreidel, a spinning top that children traditionally play with at Hanukkah. Each of the letters in this design is subtly tilted to mimic the movement of the dreidel as it twirls. USPS first issued the Hanukkah stamp in 1996. 25 million stamps have been printed.
For more information about purchasing stamps, stamps by mail, postal regulations, a free subscription to USA Philatelic magazine, Post Office events, the location of the nearest postal store or contract unit, or for answers to your specific Postal Service questions, contact USPS at 1-800-275-8777, or visit www.usps.com. To schedule a presentation on how to get the best postage rates for your holiday shipping call 239-573-9638.
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