2020 First-Class Kwanzaa Forever Stamp
2020 Kwanzaa – Holiday Celebration Series
• Honors the African American holiday of Kwanzaa
• Part of the Holiday Celebration Series
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: Holiday Celebration
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: October 13, 2020
First Day City: Nashville, Tennessee
Quantity Issued: 15,000,000
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset, Microprint
Format: Panes of 20
Tagging: Phosphor Tagged Paper
Why the stamp was issued: To commemorate Kwanzaa and its cultural importance to the African American community.
About the stamp design: Pictures a woman in profile with her eyes closed and a kinara (candleholder) with seven lit candles (mishumaa saba). The blues and greens are intended to represent inner peace. Original artwork by Andrea Pippins.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held virtually due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The First Day of Issue Cancellation is from Nashville, Tennessee.
About the Holiday Celebration Series: The USPS introduced the Holiday Celebration series in 1996 with a stamp honoring the Jewish festival, Hanukkah. The series commemorated a different cultural or religious holiday each year such as Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Eid, and others.
History the stamp represents: Kwanzaa is a newer holiday, started in 1966, that celebrates African culture and history. Kwanzaa is surrounded by tradition and incorporates a lot of symbolism. For instance, the number seven is repeated often within the holiday customs, starting with the seven principals. In the seven-day Kwanzaa celebration, thee are also seven symbols, seven candles used to celebrate, and even seven letters in the name Kwanzaa.
Maggie Macnab, author of Decoding Design, says “Seven is the untouchable, mystical process… and has a feminine orientation: invisible, mysterious, and linked to the unknowable.”
Macnab explains how often seven turns up in everyday life. For example, our telephone numbers are seven digits long. There are seven ancient and modern wonders of the world. There are even seven continents, seas, and colors in a rainbow.
Seven is also an important symbol in many different religions. Perhaps this is why seven is believed to be known as the symbol for perfection and completion in both the physical and spiritual sense. Whether the founder of Kwanzaa, Maulana Karenga, incorporated the number on purpose or not, Kwanzaa is a truly remarkable holiday. Its culture, history, and community really make it special.
Frequently Asked Questions
How it works?
A Forever® stamp is for sending domestic mail weighing up to 1 oz via First-Class Mail®.
Purpose: Send letters and cards up to 1 oz (approximately 4 sheets of regular, 8-1/2" x 11" paper in a rectangular envelope)
within the U.S., including U.S. territories and military bases overseas.
Value: Always valid for the First-Class Mail 1 oz rate, even if postage rates increase. Visit First-Class Mail and Postage to view
current rates.
Other Uses: Pair this stamp’s value with other postage to meet mailing costs when additional postage is required.
Use the Retail Postage Calculator to determine the exact cost of your mail.
Why is "FOREVER" crossed out in the image?
So the lines in your picture:
- It does not mean that the stamp has expired;
- It does not mean that you cannot continue to use it;
- Nor a postmark;
- It's just an artificial anti-copying line added to the display image.
Note: If the physical stamp you receive actually has this crossed line printed on it, be cautious. It may be a display sample, a replica or a fake stamp, rather than a normal usable stamp.
What are the common types of stamps, and how do they differ?
- Forever Stamp: Valid for standard domestic letters within the U.S. These stamps typically do not bear a fixed face value; they remain valid for mailing a standard one-ounce letter at the current rate, even if postage prices increase in the future.
- Global Forever Stamp: Primarily used for standard international letters or postcards sent from the U.S. to other countries. The main difference between this and a standard Forever Stamp lies in its scope of use and postage value.
- Postcard Stamp: Designed specifically for domestic postcards that meet USPS size standards; the postage rate is typically lower than that for standard letters.
- Additional Ounce Stamp: Used to cover the cost of weight exceeding the first ounce; these are usually used in conjunction with a Forever Stamp or other stamps.
- Two-Ounce and Three-Ounce Stamps: Suitable for heavier letters, greeting cards, wedding invitations, or multi-page documents, eliminating the need to combine multiple stamps to cover the required postage.
- Fixed-Value Stamps: These stamps display a specific monetary value (e.g., 1¢, 5¢, or other amounts) and are primarily used to make up postage differences or in combination with other stamps.
- Commemorative and Thematic Stamps: Typically issued to mark historical events, cultural or artistic themes, holidays, notable figures, animals, or natural landscapes. While suitable for regular mail, these stamps are also popular among collectors due to their unique designs and limited release periods.
It is important to note that a stamp's theme and its postage class can overlap; for example, a holiday-themed stamp might also be a Forever Stamp. When purchasing, check for markings such as FOREVER, GLOBAL, POSTCARD, ADDITIONAL OUNCE, or a specific face value to confirm the stamp's intended use.
Why choose StampResale.com?
- At StampResale, you will find a diverse range of U.S. stamps—including classic Forever Stamps, holiday-themed issues, commemorative stamps, and specialty collections—catering to needs ranging from everyday mailing and gift-giving to serious collecting.
We also frequently offer limited-time discounts, bundle deals, and exclusive promotions, providing you with a wider selection and greater value while guaranteeing the authenticity and quality of our stamps.
MAYBE YOU LIKE THESE
-
2010 Holiday Evergreens First Class Stamps
2010 Holiday Evergreens First Class Stamps
$7.99 USD $14.30 USD
