2009 44c Celebrate!

Celebrate!

Issue Date: June 10, 2009
City: Washington, DC

The 2009 “Celebrate!” postage stamp was issued by the U.S. Postal Service to acknowledge special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, or other days worthy of a celebration.  The dancing, joyful letters spell out C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E in bright and cheerful co...  more

Celebrate!

Issue Date: June 10, 2009
City: Washington, DC

The 2009 “Celebrate!” postage stamp was issued by the U.S. Postal Service to acknowledge special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, or other days worthy of a celebration.  The dancing, joyful letters spell out C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E in bright and cheerful colors. 

Created by artist Nicholas Wilton, this dynamic stamp inspires the viewer to feel the happy emotion of a celebration.  Wilton describes his fresh and lively style as one of experimentation and spontaneity.  The U.S. Postal Service created its first “Special Occasion” stamps in 1987, with a booklet of ten stamps honoring eight special occasions.  The following year it issued a second “Special Occasion” booklet of 12 stamps observing the four most-requested messages – “Happy Birthday,” “Best Wishes,” “Thinking of You,” and “Love You.”  Since then, they have created three more “Happy Birthday” stamps. 

Other popular special occasion stamps issued by the U.S. include Love stamps as well as Fall and Winter holiday stamps for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Eid, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.  “Celebrate!” is the first U.S. stamp issued to observe all special occasions.  The bright 44¢ “Celebrate!” stamp was designed to add a decorative touch and sense of good cheer to envelopes, packages, and stamp collections.