Eid Stamp Goes on Sale



New U.S. postage stamp honors the two Islamic holidays




On September 1, 2001 the U.S. Postal Service began sales of the first postage stamp honoring the country's Muslims. The design for the Eid stamp was unveiled last summer, long before the September attacks in New York and Washington that have been blamed on Muslim extremists. There are nearly 7 million Muslims living in the United States, and this stamp was issued to commemorate the two main Islamic holidays.

Eid is a generic Arabic term that means "holiday" or "festival." Islam recognizes two holidays, specifically known as Eid al-Fitr (Festival of Fast-Breaking) and Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). The Arabic script on the stamp says Eid Mubarak, or "Blessed Festival." The greeting can apply to either of the two celebrations.




Related Resources

• Islamic Holidays
• Islamic Calendar
• Islamic Calligraphy








Elsewhere on the Web

• Eid Stamp (Linn's Stamp News)
• Vita/Biography of artist Mohamed Zakariya






The artwork for the 34-cent, domestic-rate stamp was done by renowned Muslim American calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya of Arlington, Virginia.

The stamp is released as the world's 1.2 billion Muslims begin to make preparations for Ramadan, a month spent in fasting and devotion, which this year will fall between mid-November and mid-December. The first Islamic holiday (Eid al-Fitr) will come at the conclusion of Ramadan, on or around December 16, 2001.

The next Islamic holiday (Eid al-Adha) will occur following the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. This year, the pilgrimage is expected to fall in mid-February, and the Eid on or around February 23, 2001.

These self-adhesive Eid stamps can be purchased a number of ways:

Inquire at your local post office (if they are not in stock, ask them to place an order)
Purchase online from the U.S. Postal Service
Call 1-800-STAMP-24, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week

quote:

The next Islamic holiday (Eid al-Adha) will occur following the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. This year, the pilgrimage is expected to fall in mid-February, and the Eid on or around February 23, 2001.

The mail like it late!:D