About This Stamp
This Happy Birthday stamp conveys exuberant greetings by calling to mind the childhood excitement of a birthday party.
In the digital illustration featured on the stamp, the word “HAPPY” appears most prominently in all capital letters, with each of the five letters inspired by a different party decoration: a red and green piñata, an orange and yellow striped birthday hat, a red piece of frosted cake, a green birthday candle, and an orange balloon sculpture. The word “BIRTHDAY” appears below it in blue, with “Forever” and “USA” centered in smaller red lettering at the bottom. Surrounding all of the design elements is a flurry of multicolored ribbons and confetti.
The celebration of birthdays in the United States has its origins in a wide array of cultural traditions. Some ancient civilizations observed the birthdays of prominent figures or celebrated rites of passage, and well-wishes and gifts have long been associated with bringing about good fortune. Folklorists and historians claim to see the origins of birthday parties in older practices that resemble our customs, such as candles on a cake, which existed in some form in both ancient Greece and early modern Germany. When we gather to sing, brighten our spirits with candles, and make a wish, these deeply rooted rituals connect us to loved ones and invite everyone to share in the birthday fun.
This stamp was designed by Lisa Catalone Castro and Rodolfo Castro, with artwork by Rodolfo Castro. Ethel Kessler served as art director.
The Happy Birthday stamp was issued as a Forever® stamp. This Forever stamp is always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.
Stamp Art Director
Ethel Kessler
Ethel Kessler is an award-winning designer and art director who has worked with corporations, museums, public and private institutions, professional service organizations, and now, the United States Postal Service.
After earning a B.F.A. in visual communications from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Kessler worked as a graphic designer and project manager for the exhibits division of the United States Information Agency. Her work was distributed internationally on subjects such as Immigration, Entrepreneurship, Renovation of American Cities, and the Bicentennial of 1976. She was also responsible for exhibits in Morocco, Botswana, and El Salvador.
In 1981, she established Kessler Design, Inc., for which she is creative director and designer. Clients have included the Clinton Government reorganization, the Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic Television, the National Park Service, and the American Institute of Architects.
She has been an art director for the U.S. Postal Service’s stamp development program for more than 25 years. As an art director for USPS, Kessler has been responsible for creating more than 500 stamp designs, including the Breast Cancer Research stamp illustrated by Whitney Sherman. Issued in 1998, the stamp is still on sale and has raised more $98 million for breast cancer research. Other Kessler projects include the popular and highly regarded Nature of America 120 stamp series, a collaboration with nationally acclaimed nature illustrator John Dawson, the 12-year Lunar New Year series with Kam Mak, the American Filmmaking: Behind the Scenes 10 stamps issued in 2003, a 2016 pane of stamps celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, and the 2023 stamp honoring Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And many, many others.
Stamp Designer and Illustrator
Rodolfo Castro
A veteran designer who previously worked with some of the top firms in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Rodolfo Castro is Creative Director for Catalone Design. Multitalented and always eager to learn something new, Castro is a man of varied interests — architecture and furniture design among them — and many media.
Castro leads Catalone Design’s ventures into the evolving field of 3D animation and digital media. He guides the creative concept for all projects, overseeing design and art direction. Clients have included the Global Fund for Children, the Arca Foundation, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the National Gallery of Art, the Embassy of France, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Castro is a graduate of Atlanta’s prestigious Portfolio Center and has taught at the Corcoran College of Art + Design. He co-designed the 2009 United States Supreme Court Justices stamps in 2009 with his wife and business partner, Lisa Catalone Castro. More recently they co-designed the 2021 Happy Birthday stamp, which he illustrated.
Stamp Designer
Lisa Catalone Castro
Lisa Catalone Castro took her first step into the design world during high school, when she decided to try her hand at sign painting to earn summer cash. That experience started her down a path that led to a degree from the Rhode Island School of Design, to jobs with several leading design firms, and to founding Catalone Design in 1997. She oversees the firm’s operations and is involved in the creative process for every project. Clients have included the Global Fund for Children, the Arca Foundation, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the National Gallery of Art, the Embassy of France, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Organizations that have recognized the work of Catalone Design include the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), the American Association of Museums, Graphic, Printing Industries of America, Inc., and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Catalone Castro is a former adjunct professor at the Corcoran College of Art + Design and has served on the executive board of the Washington, D.C., chapter of AIGA. Her previous work for the U.S. Postal Service includes designing two Love Letters stamps in the Love series in 2001 and co-designing the four United States Supreme Court Justices stamps in 2009 with her husband and business partner Rodolfo Castro. Most recently they co-designed the 2021 Happy Birthday stamp.