| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Date of Issue | January 11, 2018 |
| Year | 2018 |
| Quantity | 15,000,000 |
| Denomination |
First-Class Mail Forever
|
| Denomination Value | $0.49 |
| Perforation or Dimension | 1.56 x 0.98 in./39.62 x 24.89 mm |
| Series | Celebrating Lunar New Year |
| Series Time Span | 2010 - 2018 |
| Issue Location | Honolulu, HI 96820 |
| Postal Administration | United States |
On January 11, 2018, in Honolulu, HI, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Year of the Dog First-Class Mail® stamp (Forever® priced at 49 cents) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 12 stamps. The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 11, 2018.
Artist Kam Mak created this original painting. Art director and stamp designer Ethel Kessler incorporated elements from previous Celebrating Lunar New Year stamps — Clarence Lee’s intricate cut-paper design of a dog and the Chinese character for “dog,” drawn in grass-style calligraphy by Lau Bun — to create continuity between the stamps in the series.
Ring in the new year with gifts, noise, and celebration! An arrangement of lucky bamboo (Dracaena braunii) and a red, lozenge-shaped Lunar New Year decoration highlight the 2018 Year of the Dog stamp from the U.S. Postal Service®, 11th of 12 in the Celebrating Lunar New Year series. The Year of the Dog begins February 16, 2018, and ends on February 4, 2019.
Across many cultures, in the United States as elsewhere, the Lunar New Year is celebrated in various ways, often with parades and parties. On the night of New Year’s Eve, families gather together and share in a celebratory dinner. They feast on foods that bring good luck, such as fish, kumquats, and rice cakes, and hang lozenge-shaped pieces of red paper with finely written good luck characters, like the one depicted in the stamp art, from doors and entryways, conveying well-wishes. On New Year’s Day, musicians play drums to celebrate this time of renewed hope for the future, with drumsticks sometimes painted red for luck. Firecrackers are set off to drive away evil spirits and usher in prosperity.
Combining original artwork by Kam Mak with two elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps—Clarence Lee’s intricate cut-paper design of a dog and the Chinese character for “dog,” drawn in grass-style calligraphy by Lau Bun—art director Ethel Kessler has created a culturally rich stamp design that celebrates the diversity of the American experience.
The Year of the Dog stamp is being issued as a Forever® stamp in self-adhesive souvenir sheets of 12. This Forever® stamp will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.