The Postal Service dedicated its Piñatas! stamps at the 36th Annual Piñata Festival in Roswell, NM, on Sept. 8.
“Ours is truly a world culture, and our stamps allow us to weave together the many threads of our national tapestry, and piñatas are the perfect example of this,” said Isaac Cronkhite, the Postal Service’s chief processing and distribution officer, who spoke at the ceremony.
Frequently found at Mexican celebrations, piñatas are hollow figurines filled with candy. Blindfolded players take turns hitting the piñata until it breaks, scattering the treats to be picked up by guests.
It’s believed piñatas originated in China several hundred years ago. The custom was brought to Europe by explorers, then to the New World by Spanish missionaries.
Joining Cronkhite at the ceremony were Tim Jennings, mayor of Roswell; Alma Salas, president of the Roswell Hispano Chamber of Commerce; Felipe Flores, the Postal Service’s processing operations senior director for Western Region; Yesenia Prieto, executive director of the Piñata Design Studio; and Emily Zaiden, director and curator of the Craft in America Center.
Juan Oropesa, a member of Roswell’s city council, served as master of ceremonies. Dance troupe Asi se Baila Ballet Folklorico performed.
The Forever stamps feature digital illustrations by Víctor Meléndez and were designed by Antonia Alcalá, an art director for USPS.
The stamps are available in booklets of 20 at Post Offices and usps.com.