Kwanzaa. 2022

The U.S. Postal Service continues its tradition of celebrating Kwanzaa. The annual Pan-African holiday, which takes place overseven days from December 26 to january 1, brings familv, community, and culture together for many African Americans.

The stamp design depicts two children, a gir and a boy, standing together with a kinara (candleholder) and the seven it candles(mishumaa saba) in front of them. They are dressed in robes akin to spiritual garments. A light-blue circle behind the children'sheads represents wholeness and unifies the figures, and a mosaic motif frames the background.

Kwanzaa is a festive time for rejoicing in the prospect of heath, prosperity, and good luck in the coming year. it is also a time forcontemplation and recollection of past hardships, faced by both individuals and communities, and the ways in which history caninform and impact future happiness.

Every year, milions of African Americans gather with friends and family throughout the week of Kwanzaa to honor the Pan-Africanholiday's seven founding principles--Unity (Umojal, Self-Determination (Kkuichagulial, Collective Work and Responsibilty (Uimal.Cooperative Economics (Uijamaa), Purpose (Nial, Creativity (Kuumbal, and Faith (lmani). With origins in ancient and modern firstharvest festivities occuring across the African continent, Kwanzaa incorporates and reimagines many communal traditions as acontemporary celebration and reaffirmation of African American culture.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original artwork by Erin Robinson.The Kwanzaa stamp is being issued as a Forever@ stamp. This Forever stamp is always equal in value to the curent First-Class

Mail@ one-ounce price.

Made in the USA