Announced by the USPS on June 29th:
This stamp, the 11th Kwanzaa stamp issued by USPS, honors the pan-African holiday observed by millions of Americans each year from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Featuring a digital illustration of a father holding his young daughter, the artwork incorporates two of the seven Kwanzaa symbols: the gift (zawadi) held by the daughter and the unity cup (kikombe cha umoja) held by the father. The color scheme — lime green, pink and yellow — is an updated take on the customary black, red and green. USPS art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with art by Cannaday Chapman.
This stamp will be issued September 23 in Norfolk, VA.
The latest information will appear below the line, with the most recent at the top.
Updated August 27th:
From the Postal Bulletin:
On September 23, 2026, in Norfolk, VA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Kwanzaa stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 582700). This stamp will go on sale nationwide September 23, 2026, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.
In 2026 the Postal Service™ issues its 11th stamp honoring Kwanzaa, the Pan-African holiday that is observed by millions of Americans from December 26 to January 1 each year. The stamp art features an illustration of a father holding his daughter; they are smiling at one another. He wears a dashiki and kufi and carries a kikombe cha umoja, or unity cup; she wears a short-sleeved dress in similar colors and holds a wrapped zawadi, or gift. The stamp’s color scheme of lime green, pink, and yellow is an updated take on the green, red, and black traditionally associated with Kwanzaa. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with art by Cannaday Chapman.
Automatic distribution.
How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
The first-day-of-issue postmark is a postmark notating the day a stamp is first authorized for use by the Postal Service. Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. All requests for first-day-of-issue postmarks (Traditional or Digital Color Postmark) must be sent to the following address with the choice of Traditional or Digital Color Postmark identified. All orders must be postmarked by January 23, 2027.
FDOI – Kwanzaa Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Kwanzaa Stamp
Item Number: 582700
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: September 23, 2026, Norfolk, VA 23501
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Cannaday Chapman, Berlin, Germany
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 10,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: PMS 2292 C, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.7700 x 1.0500 in. / 19.5580 x 26.6700 mm.
Overall Size (w x h): 0.9100 x 1.1900 in. / 23.1140 x 30.2260 mm.
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.5500 x 5.7600 in. / 140.9700 x 146.3040 mm.
Plate Size: 320 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in all four corners of pane
Back: © 2026 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (582700) • Plate position diagram (8) • Promotional text
Updated August 23rd:
[ceremony details] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
U.S. Postal Service Continues Its Tradition of Celebrating Kwanzaa
What: USPS will issue its 11th stamp celebrating Kwanzaa, the pan-African holiday observed by millions of Americans each year from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.
The first-day-of-issue event is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #KwanzaaStamp.
When: Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 12 p.m. ET
Where:
Association for the Study of African American Life and History
111th annual conference
Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel
235 E. Main St.
Norfolk, VA 23510
RSVP: Attendees are encouraged to register at www.usps.com/kwanzaastamp.
Background: The pan-African holiday Kwanzaa, observed annually from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, brings together family, community and culture. Created in the United States in 1966 and drawing on a variety of African traditions, it was intended to help unify African Americans from a wide array of religious and cultural backgrounds. The name “Kwanzaa” is derived from the Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits.”
The 2026 Kwanzaa stamp — the 11th since 1997 in an ongoing series — brings a fresh approach. While many of the stamps have portrayed family, this is the first one to feature a father and daughter. In addition, the color scheme — lime green, pink and yellow — is an updated take on the customary black, red and green.
On the traditional side, the stamp artwork incorporates two of the seven Kwanzaa symbols: the gift (zawadi), held by the daughter, and the unity cup (kikombe cha umoja), held by the father.
Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp with original artwork by Cannaday Chapman.
The Kwanzaa stamp will be issued as a Forever stamp and will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
Updated August 20th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: 
The Digital Color Postmark measures 1.70″ x 1.50″
The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.74″ x 1.15″
