USPS Unveils New Kwanzaa Stamp Featuring Father, Daughter

The U.S. Postal Service is adding to its collection of Kwanzaa stamps with a new design unveiled today at the 111th annual conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. The stamp features a digital illustration of a father and young daughter smiling at each other, both dressed in traditional African attire — he in a green, yellow and white dashiki with a matching kufi hat, she in a coordinating pink print dress with a flower in her hair and holding a wrapped gift.

The Kwanzaa stamp continues a tradition that began in 1997, with new designs released every two years since 2016. Previous stamps have depicted parents and children with Kwanzaa candles, harvests, and cultural celebrations. Matthew Toman, postmaster in Norfolk, Virginia, served as the dedicating official and praised the artistic vision behind the stamp. "With every new design, I continue to be amazed by the creativity of our artists and designers and their ability to capture the essence of Kwanzaa," Toman said.

Kwanzaa, observed annually from December 26 through January 1, was founded in the United States in 1966 to celebrate African American culture and unity. The week-long holiday centers on seven principles — unity, self-determination, collective work, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith — each represented by one of seven candles in the traditional kinara, or candleholder. The holiday incorporates pan-African traditions of first-harvest celebrations and draws its name from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," meaning "first fruits."