There was more spin in the news last week — this time the politicians weren’t doing it, the U.S. Postal Service was.
In what has become an American philatelic tradition, the postal service issued a Chanukah stamp in time for the winter holiday season, which joins stamps issued in recent years for Christmas, Kwanzaa and a pair of Muslim holidays.
The new 37-cent Chanukah stamp — unveiled at the Javits Convention Center during the Postage Stamp Mega Show last week— features a photograph of a dreidel. It replaces a 36-cent menorah stamp with a menorah, which was originally issued in 1996 at 32 cents, the first U.S. stamp to recognize a Jewish holiday.
The dreidel stamp is available now at all Post Offices.
“This stamp represents the season, offering a unique moment on the doorstep for our friends, families and customers, who eagerly look forward to the delivery of their holiday cards and letters,” said S. David Fineman, chairman of the Postal Service Board of Governors. The Postal Service annually issues a Holiday Celebrations series, reflecting a different cultural or ethnic holiday; 142 million Chanukah stamps will be printed this year.
In addition to Israel, other nations that have issued Chanukah stamps include Grenada and Guyana.
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