Announced by the USPS on October 24, 2022.

The fourth of 12 stamps in the latest Lunar New Year stamp series celebrates the Year of the Rabbit. Calling to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon or lion dances often performed in Lunar New Year parades, this three-dimensional mask depicting a rabbit is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk art crafts created during this auspicious time of year. The rabbit mask design incorporates colors and patterns with symbolic meaning. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp and pane with original art by Camille Chew.

New information will appear below the line, with the most recent at the top.

Updated December 28^th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.95″ x 1.43″The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.61″ x 1.22″

Updated December 13^th:
[ceremony details] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
USPS Gets Festive With a Lunar New Year Stamp

What: The U.S. Postal Service will commemorate the Lunar New Year in San Francisco with the unveiling of the Year of the Rabbit Forever stamp.

The first-day-of-issue event for the stamp is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #LunarNewYear and #LunarNewYearRabbit.

Who: Derek Kan, governor, U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors

London N. Breed, mayor, San Francisco

Fiona Ma, state treasurer, California

Jay Xu, director, Asian Art Museum

When: Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, at 11 a.m. PST

Where: Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at: usps.com/lunarnewyearrabbit.

Background: The Postal Service will issue the latest Lunar New Year stamp celebrating the Year of the Rabbit. This stamp design calls to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon or lion dances often performed in Lunar New Year parades. This three-dimensional mask depicting a rabbit is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk art crafts created during this auspicious time of year. The rabbit mask design incorporates colors and patterns with symbolic meaning.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp and the pane with original art by Camille Chew.

The Year of the Rabbit stamp is being issued in panes of 20. It will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays of the year for many Asian communities around the world and is primarily celebrated by people of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Malaysian and Filipino heritage. Across these varied cultures, many traditions exist for ringing in a new year of good luck and prosperity.

Updated December 5^th from the Postal Bulletin:
On January 12, 2023, in San Francisco, CA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 482800). This stamp will go on sale nationwide January 12, 2023, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit commemorative pane of 20 stamps must not be split and the stamps must not be sold individually.

In 2023, the Postal Service™ will issue the fourth of 12 stamps in its latest Lunar New Year series. The Year of the Rabbit begins January 22, 2023, and ends on February 9, 2024. Calling to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon or lion dances often performed in Lunar New Year parades, this 3-dimensional mask depicting a rabbit is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk-art crafts created during this auspicious time of year. Simplified illustrations of the 12 zodiac animals form columns on the left and right sides of the stamp pane. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed this stamp issuance with original artwork by Camille Chew.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 482800, Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) PSA Pane of 20 Stamps

No automatic distribution

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at store.usps.com/store/home. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by May 12, 2023.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit Stamp
Item Number: 482800
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Lunar New Year
Issue Date & City: January 12, 2023, San Francisco, CA, 94188
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Camille Chew, Providence, RI
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Foil Stamping, Flexographic, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 22,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Pantone 7579 Orange, Pantone 7563 Light Brown, Gold Foil Luxor MTS 413, Teal Foil Luxor MHC 327
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in / 21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in / 24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.25 x 8.50 in / 184.15 x 215.90 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 14.50 x 19.50 in./368.30 x 495.30 mm
Plate Size: 80 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by six (6) single digits in two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2022 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (482800) • Plate position diagram (4) • Promotional text

Updated November 30^th:
This stamp will be issued Thursday, January 12, in San Francisco.