On October 9, 2009, in New York, New York, at the Mega Stamp Show, the Postal Service issued a 44-cent Kwanzaa stamp in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of twenty. This was the third stamp design issued by the U.S. Postal Service in celebration of Kwanzaa. The first was issued in 1997.
Designed by Carl T. Herrman of North Las Vegas, Nevada, this colorful stamp celebrates Kwanzaa, a nonreligious holiday that takes place over seven days from December 26 to January 1. Kwanzaa draws on African traditions and takes its name from the phrase for "first fruits" in Swahili, a widely spoken African language. Stamp artist Lloyd McNeill, New York, New York, created a festive, highly symbolic design to celebrate the holiday.
Ashton Potter produced 30 million stamps using the offset process with microprint "USPS."
