USPS Reveals 2026 Kwanzaa Forever Stamp, 11th in Series Dating Back to 1997

The U.S. Postal Service has revealed its 2026 Kwanzaa Forever stamp, continuing a nearly three-decade philatelic series celebrating the pan-African holiday.

The new issue will be the 11th U.S. Kwanzaa stamp since the series began in 1997. According to the U.S. Postal Service, the 2026 design takes a different approach from previous releases by becoming the first stamp in the series to feature a father and daughter. The artwork shows the daughter holding a gift, or “zawadi,” while the father holds the unity cup, known as the “kikombe cha umoja.” Both are among the seven traditional symbols associated with Kwanzaa.

Collectors will also notice a significant change in the color palette. Rather than relying primarily on the customary black, red and green associated with the holiday, the new stamp incorporates lime green, pink and yellow. USPS art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp using original artwork by Cannaday Chapman.

Kwanzaa was created in the United States in 1966 and is celebrated each year from December 26 through January 1. USPS said the holiday draws from a variety of African traditions and centers on family, community and culture. Its name comes from a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits.”

The 2026 Kwanzaa stamp will be issued as a Forever stamp, meaning it will remain valid for the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce rate regardless of future postage price increases.

USPS will hold the stamp’s first-day-of-issue event on September 23 at noon ET during the Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s 111th annual conference at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel in Norfolk, Virginia. The ceremony will be free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to register in advance.