Postal Service Issues New Hanukkah Forever Stamp
The US Postal Service continues its tradition of issuing stamps for Hanukkah.
Hanukkah 2022 begins at sundown December 18. This joyous Jewish holiday commemorates the liberation and reconsecration of the Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BC. Also known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah is a time for family and friends to come together to rejoice.
The October dedication ceremony for the stamp was held at Temple Emanu El. News of the stamps is being shared on social media using the hashtag #HanukkahStamp. Followers of the Postal Service’s Facebook page can view the stamp story at facebook.com/usps.
“I remember looking forward to Hanukkah as a child, especially the traditional foods, gifts, and games,” said Lori Dym, US Postal Service managing counsel for procurement and property law, who served as the dedicating official. “And now, on behalf of the 655,000 men and women of the United States Postal Service, I am honored to participate in the unveiling of our new stamp celebrating this joyous Jewish holiday.”
Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew. The story of Hanukkah begins with the victory of the Maccabees, an army of Jewish fighters, over the forces of Hellenic emperor Antiochus IV, whose supporters had desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem by building an altar to the Greek god Zeus.
After reclaiming the Temple and preparing to rededicate the holy space, the worshippers discovered that only one small jar of consecrated oil remained — enough to last one day. Rather than wait for more oil to arrive, they lit the Temple menorah, which miraculously burned for eight days.
The miracle of the oil is celebrated with the ceremonial lighting of the hanukkiah, the nine-branch candelabra used only at Hanukkah. The hanukkiah, also called menorah, holds eight candles, one for each night of Hanukkah, plus one known as the “shamash,” which means the servant or helper candle used to light the others.
The candle for the first night is put on the far-right side of the menorah. On each subsequent night, an additional candle is placed to the immediate left of the previous night’s candle. The candles are lit from left to right, so that the lighting begins with the newest candle.
Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, a date that falls in late November or December. In 2022, Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 18.
Stamp Artwork
The stamp art features the design from an original wall-hanging. The fiber art was hand-dyed, appliquéd and quilted to form an abstract image of a hanukkiah. The blue and purple colors are used to represent the sky, the greens and browns represent the earth. The bright yellows and oranges represent the Festival of Lights, as Hanukkah is also known. Along the bottom of the stamp, the words Hanukkah, Forever and USA appear in white capital letters. Jeanette Kuvin Oren was the stamp designer and artist. Ethel Kessler was the art director.
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic or at post office locations nationwide.
The Hanukkah Forever stamp is sold in panes of 20. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1‑ounce price.
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations
