First U.S. Chinese New Year Stamp
On December 30, 1992, the USPS issued its first Chinese New Year stamp, honoring the start of the Year of the Rooster. The stamp proved popular and led to three different series honoring the holiday.
Holidays
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Happy National Poinsettia Day!
On December 12, 2002, the US first celebrated National Poinsettia Day, honoring two of the men who helped make these festive plants popular in the US – Joel Roberts Poinsett and Paul Ecke, Jr.
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First Christmas Seals
On December 7, 1907, the first Christmas Seals went on sale. The first stamps were created to help save a Delaware tuberculosis sanitarium, but later issues went on to support the Red Cross, National Tuberculosis Association, and American Lung Association.
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First U.S. Christmas Stamp
On November 1, 1962, the US Post Office issued its first-ever Christmas stamp, starting a popular tradition that continues to this day.
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First Arbor Day is Celebrated
On April 10, 1872, the first Arbor Day was held in Nebraska. Later moved to April 22 to celebrate the holiday’s founder, more than 200 million trees have been planted by the National Arbor Day Foundation.
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National Donor Day
On February 14, 1998, the first National Donor Day was held in the US. The annual event is held to raise awareness of the need for organ and tissue donations and to honor those who have donated, those who have received donations, and those we lost before donations became available.
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Happy Groundhog Day!
On February 2, 1887, the first official Groundhog Day event was held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. However, the tradition dates back much further to the Christian holiday known as Candlemas, and likely even further to the pre-Christian Celtic holiday of Imbolc.
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The Year of the Rabbit
This year, January 22, 2023, marks the start of the Year of the Rabbit on the Chinese calendar. The New Year celebration – also known as the Spring Festival – is the most important holiday in Chinese culture.
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Happy New Year’s Eve!
On December 31, 1903, Times Square hosted its first-ever New Year’s Eve Celebration. It’s one of the largest and longest-running New Year’s Eve celebrations in the world.
