Holidays

Topical Reference Page
4 cent Christmas 1962 stamp with two candles and a wreath with a red bow
39-cent Madonna and Child with Bird stamp
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage - Ignacio Chacón
Exhibition
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3-cent Labor Day single
About U.S. Stamps - Labor Day Issue
Exhibition
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illustration of three red lanterns on a stamp
Lunar New Year Postage Stamps
Exhibition

The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the 12-year cycle of the Chinese lunar calendar with postage stamp series.

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15-cent Martin Luther King Jr. stamp
The Black Experience - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Exhibition
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A colorful Kwanzaa stamp featuring a family lighting a Kinara.
Sharing the Timeless Principles of Kwanzaa
Exhibition

Kwanzaa is the ideal time to consider harmonious and principled togetherness in the family, the neighborhood, the nation, and the world.

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sheet of 12 stamps featuring the Lunar New Year dragon
Stamp Stories: Dragons
Delve into the symbolism of dragons in Chinese culture with the National Postal Museum and the National Museum of Asian Art. Educators share a dragon origin story and highlight dragons in Asian art objects and on postage stamps.

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Shown under an ornately carved stone arch, a young woman holds a baby on her lap as she sits on a curving gold chair.
The Art of Christmas Stamps
Exhibition

Works from the National Gallery of Art (Virtual Exhibit)
Since 1970, two general themes of Christmas stamps have been issued yearly by the U.S. Postal Service: one “traditional” and one “contemporary.” The traditional stamps tend to be based on religious artwork, while the contemporary stamps usually have a secular subject. To showcase this tradition, the National Gallery of Art and the National Postal Museum have partnered to create this virtual exhibition, which explores the art behind US Christmas stamps.

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Related Blogs

Two museum staff members pose for a photo
Festive Fun at the National Postal Museum's Annual Holiday Card Workshop!
12.19.2016

On Saturday, December 10th, the National Postal Museum hosted its Annual Holiday Card Workshop. The museum was packed with participants of all ages who spent the day creating unique holiday greetings for their friends and families. We'd like to share with you some of our favorite photos from the day!

Learn more About Festive Fun at the National Postal Museum's Annual Holiday Card Workshop!

Postal workers surrounded by a large pile of packages.
The Busiest Day of the Year
12.14.2015

This year, the US Postal Service predicted December 14 would be the busiest mailing day of 2015. And no doubt consumers and businesses across the country are hard at work trying to make that come true. December has long been a busy month for the Postal Service, but the 21st century has brought some interesting changes when it comes to mail. Where once the mail was filled with cards and some packages, the tables are turning. While letter volume (including Christmas cards) has gone done, package volume is soaring. And you’re a part of that trend if you’ve ever bought something online and had it delivered.

Learn more About The Busiest Day of the Year

Thanksgiving Day digital design and stamp
The Thanksgiving Day Parade: A Celebration with Stamps
11.23.2015

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® is one of the most iconic annual parades in American cultural lore. This New York City parade -- complete with a myriad of giant balloons, dancers, floats, cheerleaders, marching bands, clowns and celebrity performers and, of course, Santa Claus, ushers in America’s holiday spending season.

Learn more About The Thanksgiving Day Parade: A Celebration with Stamps

A little girl making a card.
Valentine's Day Card Workshop a BIG Success!
02.18.2014

We had a great turn-out for our Valentine’s Day Card Workshop on Saturday, February 8th. The 430 people who participated in the program created over 800 handmade cards. Many people were also excited to learn that their mail would receive the museum’s special pictorial cancellation after mailing them from our Stamp Store. This definitely encouraged some visitors to mail their heart-felt Valentine, even if the person they were sending it to was right there with them at the time.

Learn more About Valentine's Day Card Workshop a BIG Success!

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Collection Objects

a colorful 32-cent Hanukkah stamp

Holiday Celebrations Series Stamps

The “Holiday Celebrations Series” was begun in 1996 to reflect a different cultural or ethnic holiday each year. The first stamp in the series was the Hanukkah stamp on October 22, 1996.

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