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What: |
Holiday postmark and stamp unveiling |
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Who: |
U.S. Postal Service |
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When: |
Friday, November 16, 2012 |
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Where: |
Bethlehem Post Office |
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Background: |
The U.S. Postal Service has released the Holy Family Forever stamp as the nation prepares for the holiday mailing season. The stamp is available at Post Offices nationwide and can be purchased by phone at (800) 782-6724 or online at usps.com/shop. The stamp, created by designer Greg Breeding and artist Nancy Stahl, shows Joseph leading a donkey that carries Mary and the infant Jesus, guided by a star shining in the twilight of a desert sky. To mark the start of the holiday season, the Bethlehem Post Office will also offer a special postmark, available for 45 days beginning Nov. 16th. To obtain the postmark, customers should place stamped, addressed envelopes inside a larger envelope and mail them to: LIVING NATIVITY STATION, P.O. Box 9998, Bethlehem, KY 40007-9998. The Bethlehem Post Office has been offering a special cancellation during the holidays since 1947. “The pictorial postmark stamped alongside the Holy Family Forever stamp will be a great addition to 2012 greeting cards,” said Postmaster Susan Leopold. “We are proud that both the stamp and postmark will decorate thousands of cards during the holiday season.” The Postal Service expects to deliver approximately 17 billion cards and packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Bethlehem Post Office expects to postmark around 50,000 cards and with the town name “Bethlehem” |
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