Atlanta sources have stated that the U.S. Postal Service will commemorate the joyous Hindu festival of Diwali with a Forever stamp on Wednesday, Oct 5th, first day of issue dedication ceremony will take place at the Indian Embassy in New York City and the stamp design is a photograph featuring a traditional diya oil lamp beautifully lit, sitting on a sparkling gold background.
On the Hindu calendar, Diwali falls on the eve of or on, the new moon that occurs between mid-October and mid November. In 2016, the main day of the festival will be celebrated Oct. 29th for South Indians and Oct 30th for North Indians and Diwali is a shortened version of the Sanskrit word Deepawali, which roughly translates as “a necklace of lights”.
Meanwhile Sally Andersen-Bruce of New Milford, CT, has photographed the diya. Greg Breeding of Charlottesville, VA, designed the stamp and William J. Gicker of Washington, DC, service as the project’s art director and the Diwali stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp. This Forever stamp will also be equal in value to the current First Class Mail 1 ounce price.
The Postal Service receives approximately 40,000 suggestions for stamp ideas annually from the public. Stamp subjects are reviewed by the Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee of that, approximately 25 topic suggestions for commemorative stamps are selected by the Committee for the Postmaster General’s approval.
