NORFOLK, VA — The U.S. Postal Service will issue its 11th Kwanzaa stamp on September 23, adding a new Forever stamp to its holiday postage lineup ahead of the annual celebration observed from December 26 through January 1.
The first-day-of-issue ceremony will take place at noon Eastern time during the Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s 111th annual conference.
The event will be held at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel, 235 E. Main St., Norfolk, Virginia. Admission is free, and attendees are encouraged to register at www.usps.com/kwanzaastamp.
The 2026 design marks the first time the Postal Service’s Kwanzaa series has featured a father and daughter.
The daughter holds a gift, known as zawadi, while the father holds a unity cup, or kikombe cha umoja. Both objects are among the holiday’s seven traditional symbols.
The artwork uses lime green, pink and yellow, departing from the black, red and green traditionally associated with Kwanzaa.
Postal Service art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp using original artwork by Cannaday Chapman.
The Postal Service has issued Kwanzaa stamps since 1997. The latest stamp will retain its value for First-Class Mail weighing up to one ounce, regardless of future postage rate changes.
Kwanzaa originated in the United States in 1966 and draws on African cultural traditions. Its name comes from a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits.”
Customers can purchase stamps through usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, through the USA Philatelic mail-order program or at post offices nationwide.
Additional information about stamp releases and first-day ceremonies is available at stampsforever.com.
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