A new stamp celebrating Kwanzaa, the annual Pan-African holiday, will be released Wednesday, Oct. 10.
Created in 1966, Kwanzaa was conceived as a unifying holiday in the face of struggles to end racial oppression in the United States.
Each year, millions of African-Americans gather with friends and family from Dec. 26-Jan. 1 to honor the holiday’s seven founding principles: unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba) and faith (imani).
The Kwanzaa stamp art depicts a man, woman and child adorned in a mixture of western and African-inspired clothing, paying tribute to the holiday’s focus on the contemporary African-American experience while also drawing on African roots.
The family is gathered near a table with several important Kwanzaa symbols, including a kinara (candleholder) and a kikombe cha umoja (unity cup).
This is the seventh Kwanzaa stamp design issued by USPS since the first release in 1997. The new stamp will be available at Post Offices and usps.com.
This year’s other seasonal offerings include Global: Poinsettia, Hanukkah, Madonna and Child by Bachiacca and Sparkling Holidays.
Also available this year, while supplies last: Diwali and Eid Greetings, as well as Nativity, Christmas Carols, Florentine Madonna and Child and previous Hanukkah and Kwanzaa releases.