Cherished by both children and adults, snow globes are delightful little worlds encased in glass, serving as nostalgic keepsakes of cherished memories or intricate artistry captured within a swirling microcosm. In the festive spirit of the holiday season, the U.S. Postal Service has commemorated the joyful allure of snow globes through the release of four new postage stamps.
At the dedication ceremony for the Snow Globes stamps held at Breckenridge’s Stephen C. West Ice Arena, Sheila Holman, the stamp’s dedicated official and the Postal Service’s Vice President of Marketing, expressed, “People collect all sorts of souvenirs on their travels: coffee mugs, T-shirts, refrigerator magnets — but none are as enchanting as snow globes, creating snowstorms you stir up with a flick of the wrist, that gradually settle to display a world in miniature.”
The event featured the presence of stamp artist Gregory Manchess, Breckenridge Mayor Eric Mamula, Scott Reid (Deputy Town Manager and winter sports enthusiast), Jonathan Oetken (winter sports host and master of ceremonies), and Harry Rinker (author of a book about snow globes and renowned antiques writer).
Rinker, a snow globe collector and a member of the Postal Service’s Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, spoke about the wonder snow globes evoke, emphasizing that each shake initiates a unique adventure and provides an opportunity to relive numerous childhood, winter, and holiday memories.
The history of snow globes dates back to the 1878 Paris Exposition Universelle, where they were initially referred to as “snowstorm paperweights.” They gradually became popular souvenirs at tourist destinations across Europe around 1900. While they are commonly known as snow globes today, they’ve been called various names over the years, such as snow dome, water globe, and snowfall weight. Snow globes come in a variety of shapes, and some even incorporate features like music boxes, lights, and animated scenes.
The Snow Globes stamps were designed by Derry Noyes, a USPS art director, and feature original artwork by Manchess. Manchess used oil paint to create the designs, depicting iconic holiday scenes inside spherical snow globes resting on brown bases. The scenes include a snowman with a red-and-white scarf, Santa Claus on a rooftop preparing to descend the chimney, a reindeer in a snowy forest, and a snow-covered tree adorned with colorful ornaments. Each stamp showcases swirling white flakes beneath the glass dome, with “forever” and “USA” inscribed in the lower left corner. The booklet cover highlights the snowman globe, with the title “Snow Globes” in icy white and blue capital letters. Each booklet contains 20 stamps, with five of each of the four designs.
The Snow Globes stamps are issued as Forever stamps, which will always hold the same value as the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce rate.
To share news about the Snow Globes stamps, the hashtag #SnowGlobesStamps is being used.
Please note that the United States Postal Service is an independent federal agency mandated to be financially self-sufficient. It serves all American communities by providing affordable, reliable, and secure mail and package delivery services to nearly 165 million addresses, often six or seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan called “Delivering for America” to modernize the postal network, ensure long-term financial stability, enhance service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain its status as one of America’s most trusted brands. The Postal Service is funded primarily by postage, product, and service sales and does not typically receive tax dollars for operating expenses.
For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com.
