Christmas Carols Forever Stamps in 2017


New York City, Oct. 04, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Postal Service will begin celebrating the Holiday season tomorrow with four new Forever stamps featuring images that illustrate the themes of four beloved Christmas carols: “Jingle Bells,” “Deck the Halls,” “Silent Night” and “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas.


Familiar lines from each song highlight the individual stamps. The shades of blue in the backgrounds of the stamps evoke the evening scenes from the four carols. This booklet of 20 stamps includes five of each design. The late Howard E. Paine was the art director. Artist Steve McCracken of Winchester, VA, created original art for the project.


 “We’re excited to continue one of the Postal Service’s long standing traditions — celebrating the holidays with new stamps,” said U.S. Postal Service Brand Marketing Executive Director Christopher Karpenko.


“This selections were inspired by some of America’s favorite Christmas carols, sung and adored by children and adults alike since the 18th century. Translated into dozens of languages, these timeless classics are so recognizable. When holiday items arrive in mailboxes with these stamps, we expect recipients will be humming the tune of the carol lyrics they see — either in their heads or out loud.”


Scheduled to join Karpenko in the dedication ceremony are American Stamp Dealers Association President Tami Jackson and American Philatelic Society American Philatelist Editor Jay Bigalke. U.S. Postal Service Stamp Services Director Mary-Anne Penner served as master of ceremonies.


“The popularity of Christmas stamps is something celebrated and shared by both stamp collectors and the general public,” said Bigalke. “It’s an honor to be a part of this moment in history introducing a new set of stamps to the nation.”