Olympian to Dedicate Santa and Sleigh Forever Stamps
St. Nick begins navigating the mail stream to the tune of 750 million Santa and Sleigh Forever stamps. The stamp art was inspired by the 1823 poem by Clement C. Moore , “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” also known as “The Night Before Christmas” or “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
Available nationwide (U.S.) today, Oct. 13, in booklets of 20, the stamps can be purchased online at usps.com/shop
The 10 a.m. Saturday first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony, free and open to the public, takes place at the Sunset Terrace of the Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers, Pier 61 – 23rd St. and the Hudson River in New York City .
Joining U.S. Postal Service Northeast Area VP Richard Uluski in dedicating the stamps will be 2002 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Sarah Hughes.
“The issuance of a new American stamp is always a thrilling and historical event,” said Hughes, “and I am excited that the use of the Santa and Sleigh Forever stamps will help the nation celebrate the holiday season.”
Holiday stamps represent nearly 10 percent of all stamp sales with more than 90 billion printed since 1962. Originally drawn in pencil on paper, the image portrays Santa Claus flying through the air in his sleigh.
With a cargo of toys and gifts produced in his workshop by elves, he lands on the rooftop of house after house and slides down the chimney to leave presents for girls and boys of all ages.
