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 28th:
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 13th:
[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 5th 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
