The 2026 USPS holiday stamps aren’t arriving all at once – US post is stretching the rollout across several weeks this fall, just as it does most years. Whether you are curating a competitive topical collection, sending holiday greeting cards, or preparing for maximum-card creations, this year’s slate offers an inspiring blend of classical Renaissance art, culinary folk craft, and multicultural celebrations.
2026 Holiday Stamps
Six new designs are rolling out between mid-September and early November, covering Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, and a general winter design for international mail. USPS will issue two designs as a part of Christmas stamps 2026. Here’s the full lineup of Holiday Forever stamps of 2026, in the order they’re actually arriving in Post Offices.
Winter Wreath (Global Forever)
First Day of Issue: Friday, September 18, 2026
First Day City: Humble, TX
Format: Pane of 10
The first of the season, and the only one of the six built for international postage. The design features a snowy, decorated wreath, photographed rather than illustrated — the wreath itself was built from artificial branches and craft-store materials, then shot with a soft, muted color palette.
Global Forever stamps hold a unique place in modern US philately thanks to their distinct round die-cut format. The 2026 issue features a lush, snow-dusted holiday wreath adorned with winter berries, pinecones, and evergreen boughs. The crisp, wintry photograph brings an elegant, frosty contrast to envelopes bound for international destinations.
If you’re sending holiday mail overseas this year, or completing a Postcrossing exchange with a winter theme, this is the stamp for it.
Topical Appeal: Flora, Winter, Circular/Round Stamps
Christmas Cookies (Forever)
First Day of Issue: Saturday, September 19, 2026
First Day City: Washington, DC
Format: Double-sided booklet of 20 (4 designs se-tenant)
In one of the most delightful contemporary holiday issuances in recent years, the USPS celebrates the warmth of home baking. A genuinely fun departure from the usual religious or wreath-and-ribbon Christmas designs. This set features four frosted sugar cookies on alternating red and blue backgrounds, each decorated differently.
What makes it stand out: designer Kyrie Johnson didn’t just design the stamps, she baked the actual cookies photographed for them, working alongside designer Greg Breed. It’s the kind of hands-on design story that tends to get picked up well beyond philately circles.
Topical Appeal: Food & Beverage, Folk Art, Contemporary Christmas
Kwanzaa (Forever)
First Day of Issue: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
First Day City: Norfolk, VA
Format: Pane of 20
This is the 11th Kwanzaa stamp USPS has issued, honoring the pan-African holiday observed from December 26 through January 1.
The artwork shows a father holding his young daughter, and works in two of Kwanzaa’s seven core symbols: the gift, or zawadi, held by the daughter, and the unity cup, or kikombe cha umoja, held by the father. The color choice is a notable break from tradition — instead of the customary black, red, and green, this design uses a brighter palette of lime green, pink, and yellow.
Hanukkah (Forever)
First Day of Issue: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
First Day City: New Orleans, LA
Format: Pane of 20
The ninth Hanukkah stamp in USPS history features a digital illustration of a dreidel, designed by Lisa Perrin, who drew on both her own Jewish heritage and Eastern European folk-art traditions for the artwork (with USPS art director Antonio Alcalá also credited on the design). Perrin has said she hopes the stamp’s playful, colorful take on the dreidel — a toy at the center of a well-known holiday game — brings a smile to people who celebrate the holiday.
Madonna and Child (Forever)
First Day of Issue: Friday, October 2, 2026
First Day City: Williamstown, MA
Format: Double-sided booklet of 20
USPS’s traditional religious Christmas stamp for 2026 features “The Virgin and Child Enthroned,” a Netherlandish painting dating to around 1500. The work is attributed to an artist historians only know by the name “The Master of the Embroidered Foliage” — no confirmed identity has ever been established, which is its own small piece of art-history trivia worth including if you’re writing about the design.
Diwali (Forever)
First Day of Issue: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
First Day City: Washington, DC
Format: Pane of 20
This is only the second time USPS has issued a Diwali stamp. Diwali, the festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil, is typically observed over five days; the main day in 2026 falls on November 8. The design features a rangoli — a vibrant floor pattern traditionally made from colored rice powder, chalk, and flower petals, believed in many households to bring good luck.
Where and How to Buy Them
All six stamps become available at Post Office locations nationwide once released, through USPS store, or by mail through USA Philatelic. As with other recent releases, individual branches place their own stock orders, so a specific design may take a little longer to show up at your local post office than the official release date suggests — ordering online is the more reliable route if you want a design the moment it’s out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all six 2026 holiday stamps Forever stamps?
Yes, with one distinction: five are standard Forever stamps for domestic mail, while Winter Wreath is a Global Forever stamp intended for international postage.
Which 2026 holiday stamp comes out first?
Winter Wreath, released September 18, followed by Christmas Cookies on September 19.
How many Hanukkah and Kwanzaa stamps has USPS issued in total?
The 2026 Hanukkah design is the ninth in USPS history, and the 2026 Kwanzaa design is the eleventh.
Is this the first Diwali stamp USPS has issued?
No — it’s the second. USPS issued its first Diwali stamp the previous year.
When exactly does the Diwali stamp release?
USPS has confirmed an October release without giving an exact date; the main Diwali festival day in 2026 is November 8.
