USPS Christmas Stamps 2009
2009 USPS Christmas Stamps
2009 Holiday Stamps Are Great for Cards and Letters
The United States Postal Service has been issuing special holiday postage stamps since 1962. People love to decorate their holiday mail with these special stamps, and the post office has fueled the fun by issuing new stamps every year. In addition to a traditional Christmas stamp, the USPS also now issues postage celebrating winter, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
2009 Christmas Stamp
For 2009, the USPS chose Sassoferrato’s Madonna and Sleeping Child as the image for its annual Christmas stamp. The original painting by Italian Baroque painter Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato is more than 300 years old and is currently on display at Hearst Castle in California.
At the dedication ceremoney to release the stamp, James Bilbray, a member of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors, said, "Sassoferrato’s Madonna and Sleeping Child provides a symbol of the endearing and enduring bond of family,” said “The beauty of a mother cradling her child and the symbolic message of purity, love and sacrifice are brilliant. It represents the best of all that is good about Christmas and its traditions — home, family, love and togetherness."
2009 Winter Holidays Stamps
The Winter Holidays stamps were unveiled in October, along with the 2009 Hanukkah and Kwanzaa stamps, at the American Stamp Dealers Association Mega Stamp Show in New York. The four winter stamps feature a snowman, reindeer, gingerbread man and a toy soldier. Each of the images is framed by a light brown border on top and bottom featuring green wreaths, stars, Christmas trees or holly leaves.
The images were designed by artist Joseph Cudd of Brushworks Studio, in Greensboro, NC. According to the USPS press release, Cudd first sketched the designs by hand and then finished them on the computer using a graphics tablet.
2009 Hanukkah Stamp
The 2009 Hanukkah stamp features a photo by Ira Wexler showing a menorah with nine lit candles. The menorah was designed by Lisa Regan of the Garden Deva Sculpture Company in Oklahoma. This is only the third stamp the USPS has issued to commemorate Hanukkah. The first was released in 1996 and featured an illustration of a menorah, and a second Hanukkah stamp featuring a dreidel was released in 2004.
2009 Kwanzaa Stamp
The 2009 Kwanzaa stamp marks the third time the USPS has celebrated this winter holiday on official postage. Stamp artist Lloyd McNeill of New York City, under the direction of Carl T. Herrman, created this year's stamp.
According to a USPS press release, "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 — which are the same colors as the Pan-African flag. The field of green around the borders symbolizes growth and a bountiful harvest. In the hoop that the girl holds in her hands, as well as in the family grouping of mother, father, and child, McNeill symbolized unity."
All the 2009 holiday designs are available on 44-cent First Class stamps in booklets or sheets of 20.
First-Day-of-Issue Postmark for 2009 Holiday Stamps
Anyone who'd like to get a special first-day-of-issue postmark for the new holiday stamps has 60 days from the stamp's issue to request it. Requests for the first-day-o-fissue postmark for the Christmas stamp must be received by December 21, requests for the Winter Holidays stamps must be received by December 9 and requests for the Hanukkah and Kwanzaa stamps must be received by December 10.
To get the postmark, customers 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:
(Winter Holidays) (Hanukkah) (Kwanzaa) Stamp(s)
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 this service.
Genuine US Postage at Zazzle.
More Christmas Stamps
The US Postal Service isn't the only place you can buy festive Christmas postage stamps. You can find thousands of holiday stamps designs on genuine US postage at Zazzle, and you can customize any of the available designs or even create your own personalized stamp with your own photo or image. Just search the postage at Zazzle to see the many options available.
More Christmas Hubs by lisa42
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Gifts
As the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special celebrated its 45th anniversary, there was a resurgence in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer gifts. Now you can buy collectible villages and trains, ornaments, stockings, nutcrackers and other collectible - 5 Fun Free Santa Printables
The web is a big place, and there are plenty of sites out there offering free things during the holidays. You can get free Christmas wallpaper, free holiday music, free patterns for Christmas crafts, and many,... - How to Choose Christmas Letter Paper
Get tips for choosing the right Christmas letter paper, including whether a Christmas template may be the right choice for you and links to sites offering holiday stationery. - Santa History: How Saint Nicholas Became Santa Claus
The Historical Saint NicholasThe history of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a fourth century Christian bishop known for his generosity. Saint Nicholas was born around 270 or 280 AD in what... - Cool Christmas Cards
Sending out Christmas cards is an annual ritual that most people participate in. It's a chance to share good wishes with family and friends and to remind the folks you didn't see much during the year that... - Add a Santa Postmark to Your Holiday Mail
Christmas is a very busy time of year for Santa Claus. In the North Pole, he has plenty of elves and reindeer to help him get ready for the holidays. But in Santa Claus, Indiana, Santa relies on the U.S.... - The First Christmas Stamp in America
During the holidays, Americans send more than 2 billion greeting cards, and many of us go out and buy special Christmas postage stamps just for the occasion. It's such a tradition that you may not realize... - Christmas Letters from Santa: Full-Serve or Print Yo...
Today you have the choice of using a full-service business to send a Santa letter to your child or to create one with help of sites that make it easy to customize and print Christmas letters from Santa at...