Announced June 26th; updated July 26th: To be issued October 11th in Pigeon Forge, TN (home of Dollywood). On August 28th, the USPS announced the issue would also include a souvenir sheet and gave details on the first-day ceremony.

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service to Issue Classic Santa Stamps this Christmas
Art Features Images from 1950s Coca-Cola Ads

WASHINGTON — It’s beginning to look like a classic Christmas! This October, the Postal Service will ring in the 2018 holiday season with four Sparkling Holidays stamps featuring character-rich close-ups of Santa Claus.

The Santa images are from Haddon Sundblom paintings created for The Coca-Cola Company holiday advertisements that ran from the1940s through the early 1960s. Sundblom, a famed commercial artist, depicted a rosy-cheeked, smiling, grandfatherly man in a red suit that came to embody the very essence of “Santa.”

The Sparkling Holidays stamps will be issued as Forever stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Additional details will be announced before the stamps’ release.

Added June 28th:

As reported by Foster Miller in The Stamp Collecting Forum, Bill Gicker of the USPS design team says the stamp designs were adapted from the original artwork produced by Sundblom for the soft drink company, not from specific Coca-Cola ads. Gicker was speaking at a Q&A session with Stamp Services staff June 27th at American Philatelic Society headquarters in Bellefonte, Pa.

FDC collector and retired professional artist Dave Bennett found matches for three of the stamp designs in Coca-Cola ads: Dave didn’t find a match for the fourth stamp design, but he did find what may be the inspiration for the official name for this issue: Added June 30th: And from VSC member Mary Kneller, the 4th design:

[USPS advisory August 28th]
USPS Issues “Sparkling Holidays” Stamps and Souvenir Sheet
Offerings Feature Sundblom Santa Paintings from Coca-Cola Ads

WHAT: U.S. Postmaster General and CEO Megan Brennan Dedicates New Sparkling Holidays Forever Stamps

WHEN: Oct. 11, 2018
11:15 a.m. (EDT)

WHERE: The Inn at Christmas Place
119 Christmas Tree Lane
Pigeon Forge, TN 37868

WHY: The Postal Service issues four new stamps and a souvenir sheet [shown on right] showcasing classic images of Santa Claus painted by famed commercial artist Haddon Sundblom. Each stamp portrays a close-up of Santa’s face. The four images featured in the booklet are details from larger paintings created by Sundblom and originally published in ads for The Coca-Cola Company from the 1940s through the early 1960s. Sundblom is the man credited with refining the modern image of Santa Claus.

The souvenir sheet includes a semi-jumbo stamp as part of a wider scene of one of Sundblom’s paintings chosen for the Sparkling Holidays stamp booklet. In it, Santa is depicted standing by a fireplace holding a book that lists good boys and girls. Three Christmas stockings hang along a mantel decorated with greens and ornaments. Peering over his glasses, Santa reads a note among the stockings.

A quatrefoil design element surrounded by a metallic gold background encloses the scene. The use of gold metallic ink, the flow of the type, and the organic shape of the border are intended to harken back to the graphic style of the first half of the 20th century. Art director Greg Breeding designed the souvenir sheet and the stamps.

Santa’s legend is based on customs brought to America by European immigrants. St. Nicholas, the Dutch Sinterklaas, was one of Santa’s forebearers. He delivered gifts on Dec. 5, the eve of his feast day.

Note: Sparkling Holidays Stamps, sold in books of 20, and the Sparkling Holidays Souvenir Sheet, with one stamp, will be available for pre-order online starting Sept. 14 at The Postal Store at usps.com. The souvenir sheet will only be sold through usps.com or by calling 1-800-STAMP24.

Updated August 30th:

On October 11, 2018, in Pigeon Forge, TN, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Sparkling Holidays stamps (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive booklet of 20 stamps (Item 682100). The stamps will go on sale nationwide October 11, 2018, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The U.S. Postal Service celebrates Christmas with Sparkling Holidays, four new stamps featuring classic images of Santa Claus painted by famed commercial artist Haddon Sundblom. Each of the four images portraying a close-up of Santa’s face are details from larger paintings created by Sundblom and originally published in ads for The Coca-Cola Company from the 1940s through the early 1960s. Sundblom is the man credited with refining the modern image of Santa Claus. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps.

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 usps.com/shop. 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 – Sparkling Holidays Stamps
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 February 11, 2019.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Sparkling Holidays Stamps
Item Number: 682100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-Sided Booklet of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: October 11, 2018, Pigeon Forge, TN 37862
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Art: Haddon Sundblom
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 1,000,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: PMS 872 Gold, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.05 in./19.558 x 26.67 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in./23.114 x 30.226 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.76 x 2.38 in./146.304 x 60.452 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 23.29 x 4.76 in./ 591.566 x 120.904 mm
Plate Size: 880 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: “Sparkling Holidays” Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • Plate number in peel strip area
Back: ©2018 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode • Promotional text in peel strip area

Added September 8th:

Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color postmark measures 2.86″x1.49″

The B&W pictorial measures 2.97″x1.47″

The “special” postmark for use by local post offices measures 2.66″x1.47″