Forever Stamps 2023 Piñatas – Festive Celebration, First-Class Postage

First Day of Issue: September 8, 2023
First Day City: Roswell, New Mexico
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Double-sided Booklets of 20

The USPS issued the stamp to commemorate the tradition of piñatas in Mexican culture.

The stamp design features colorful digital illustrations of traditional piñata designs, including donkeys and seven-point stars. The artwork is by Victor Meléndez.

The First Day of Issue Ceremony took place in Roswell, New Mexico, during the 36th annual Piñata Festival.

Piñatas are a popular feature at celebrations, bringing joy with their bright colors, fun shapes, and treats inside. In 2023, the USPS released a set of four stamps depicting traditional Mexican piñatas.

The star and donkey are the most popular piñata shapes in Mexico, introduced in the 1500s by Spanish missionaries. These missionaries used piñatas to connect with the locals, incorporating shapes representing aspects of the Nativity. The star symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem and the seven deadly sins, while the donkey represents the burro Mary rode to the manger.

Early piñatas were clay pots adorned with colorful feathers and paper, filled with fruit and sugar cane. Over time, cardboard and papier-mâché replaced clay pots. Today, most piñatas are filled with candy but can include toys, fruit, or other items.

Since 2006, Mexico’s Museum of Folk Art has hosted an annual piñata contest celebrating their history and artistry. The museum also conducts piñata workshops and features piñatas in its permanent collections.

In 2022, Philadelphia built the world’s largest piñata, standing 61 feet tall, 60 feet long, 23 feet wide, and holding 8,000 pounds of candy!