January dear - 2024 is near!

Wait, it's here!

And its a leap year!

W E L C O M E 2 0 2 4

Another leap year already? What is a leap year, anyway?

A leap year is a calendar year that contains an additional day compared to a common year. The 366th day is added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year

or seasonal year.

LOOK UP!

IT'S A BUSY YEAR AT THE SPELLMAN AND IN THE SKY! MARK YOUR CALENDARS...

2024 has lots to offer those of us to love to watch the sky and stars...

featuring a total solar eclipse and two lunar eclipses and a dozen meteor showers, along with a year's worth of full moons.

This 2024 celestial calendar offers a comprehensive overview of key astronomical events throughout the year. It includes the dates and names of every full moon, meteor shower and eclipse in the coming year.

Full moons brighten the night sky and offer monthly reminders of lunar phases. Meteor showers, including stunners such as the Perseids and Geminids, promise moments of awe and inspiration as shooting stars streak across the heavens. And the solar and lunar eclipses will offer remarkable opportunities to witness celestial alignments.

January. 25: Wolf Moon

February. 24: Snow Moon

March 25: Worm Moon

April 23: Pink Moon

May 23: Flower Moon

June 21: Strawberry Moon

July 21: Buck Moon

August 19: Sturgeon Moon

September 17: Harvest Moon

October 17: Hunter’s Moon

November 15: Beaver Moon

December 15: Cold Moon

But let us not forget about the two lunar eclipses, which occur when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, causing the Earth's shadow to be cast on the moon's surface. Lunar eclipses happen when the moon, Earth and sun are closely aligned, typically during a full moon.

March 25: Penumbral lunar eclipse:

This eclipse will be subtle, visible from the Americas, western Europe and western Africa.

April 8: Total solar eclipse:

This solar eclipse will be visible in North America. The path of totality will stretch from the southwestern United States through the central and northeastern parts of the country and up into eastern Canada.

September. 17: Penumbral lunar eclipse:

This lunar eclipse will be visible from the Americas, Europe and Africa.

The USPS issued this global Forever stamp in February of 2016 - cooincidentally on the same day (night) of that month's full moon, traditionally referred to as the “snow moon.”

The new stamp was and remains valid for machineable international letter mail weighing up to 1 ounce “to any country to which First-Class Mail International service is available,” according to the Postal Service.

The nondenominated ($1.20) stamp is inscribed “global” and “forever” to indicate that it always will be valid for the 1-ounce international letter rate regardless of future rate increases.

The stamp was issued in panes of 10 consisting of two horizontal rows of five stamps. The background selvage and the outer margin of the stamp itself is a dark blue, mimicking the night sky. The design shows a photograph of the full moon as it rises over Fort Lauderdale, Fla., according to the Postal Service.

The words “The Moon” are centered below the block of 10 stamps, while along the bottom of the pane is a darkened scene showing a line of trees.

Have you ever seen an eclipse? Where and when?

AND NOW:

THREE AMAZING EVENTS

AT THE SPELLMAN!

All Ages Welcome! Free for Members

Thursday, January 18

6:00 PM-7:30 PM

The Spellman Museum in 2024: A Look Ahead

Preview the year's events and initiatives in this informative presentation by Executive Director Brian Howard and Museum Trustees!

Light refreshments will be served

Saturday, February 10

10:00 AM - 12 Noon

Valentine's Day Event

Create your own Valentines

Learn how to make your own envelope

Craft some “love-ly” surprises for your Valentine

Free admission!

Saturday, March 2

11:00 AM - Noon

Sheryl Faye as Queen Elizabeth II

$10 for non members

Saturday, April 13

11:00 AM - Noon

Joys of Nature - Live Animal Presentation

$10 for non members

Want to attend? RSVP or ask us any questions!

WHO WAS BORN IN JANUARY?

Renowned Historical Figures

Born in January

Joan of Arc -January 6, Circa 1412

Zora Neale Hurston - January 7, 1891

David Bowie - January 8, 1947

Elvis Presley - January 8, 1935

Simone de Beauvoir - January 9, 1908

Alexander Hamilton - January 11, 1755

Martin Luther King Jr.

The Zora Neale Hurston stamp was issued on January 24, 2003. American writer, folklorist, and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston was one of America's most original and accomplished writers and a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and early 1930s.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Reverend Dr. King was a social activist and Baptist minister who played a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. King sought equality and human rights for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest.

In honor of his memory and his accomplishments, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States marking his birthday. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year. Born in 1929, King's actual birthday is January 15.

During the less than 13 years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December 1955 until April 4, 1968, African Americans achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced. Dr. King is widely regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence and one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history.

Drawing inspiration from both his Christian faith and the peaceful teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. King led a nonviolent movement in the late 1950s and ‘60s to achieve legal equality for African-Americans in the United States. While others were advocating for freedom by “any means necessary,” including violence, Martin Luther King, Jr. used the power of words and acts of nonviolent resistance, such as protests, grassroots organizing, and civil disobedience to achieve seemingly-impossible goals. He went on to lead similar campaigns against poverty and international conflict, always honoring his principles that men and women everywhere, regardless of color or creed, are equal members of the human family.

Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Nobel Peace Prize lecture and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” are among the most revered orations and writings in the English language. His accomplishments are now taught to American children of all races, and his teachings are studied by scholars and students worldwide. He is the only non-president to have a national holiday dedicated in his honor and is the only non-president memorialized on the Great Mall in the nation’s capital. He is memorialized in hundreds of statues, parks, streets, squares, churches and other public facilities around the world as a leader whose teachings are increasingly-relevant to the progress of humankind.

Transcript of 'I have a dream' speech

JUST A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS FOR YOU....

Will you share this newsletter with a friend who might enjoy the content?

Yes

Did you learn anything from reading this newsletter?

Yes

Will you send us your ideas for the next issue? jlchase@spellmanmuseum.org

Yes

I'm considering it

We are a fun stamp museum!

How do we know? People tell us!

Stop by and find out for yourself. We are open Thursdays - Sundays noon - 5pm and by appointment.

And, Exciting News! This Just In!

The Spellman Museum is pleased to be a recipient of a $1000 Weston Cultural Council (WCC) grant to support its 2024 programming! Awarded in December; it is our largest WCC grant since 2021 and underwrites several 'Stamps Come Alive' events this spring. We are greatly appreciative for this grant which is funded through the Mass Cultural Council.

It's been a fantastic year at the Museum. Thanks to you! Please let us know what you'd like to hear more about. And, we are a support-driven organization that thrives on and depends on charitable donations to continue to build our offerings to the public.

Would you like make a donation? It's easy - visit this site.

NEW USPS STAMP FOR 2024

Lunar New Year ∙ Year of the Dragon

The fifth of 12 stamps in the latest Lunar New Year stamp series celebrates the Year of the Dragon. Calling to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in dances often performed in Lunar New Year parades, this three-dimensional mask depicting a dragon is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk art crafts created during this auspicious time of year.

The dragon mask design incorporates colors and patterns with symbolic meaning. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp and pane with original art by Camille Chew.

Stop by our refreshed Museum Store - we are a USPS outpost and you can purchase this stamp directly from us!

The Lunar New Year is celebrated by millions of people across the world on the first new moon of their calendar. Although often referred to as "Lunar New Year" in English, this is a misnomer, as it refers to both celebrations based on a lunar calendar as well as a lunisolar calendar. Lunar New Year celebrations in East and Central Asia, such as Chinese New Year, are based on a lunisolar calendar. Chinese New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Some Lunar New Year celebrations, such as in Korea and Vietnam, generally fall on the same day as the Chinese celebration in late January or February, due to being based on the Chinese calendar or a variation of it.

In the United States, Lunar New Year is strongly associated with Chinese Americans and "Chinese New Year" is commonly used as a translation by people of non-Chinese backgrounds. The celebration has officially been known as "Spring Festival" in China since the founding of the Republic of China in 1911 when the previous name, "Yuandan" (The First Day), was assigned to the first day of the Gregorian calendar. Chinese people outside China refer to it as both Lunar New Year as well as Chinese New Year.

WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS!

On December 7, we gathered as a group and celebrated each member of our devoted and talented volunteer corp. Pizza was involved! Interested in helping the Spellman?

Contact Nancy Meyer to learn more and share your interests and expertise.

WHY STAMPS? WHY THE SPELLMAN?

STAMPS ARE TINY PIECES OF BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK THAT

ENGAGE AND INSPIRE SO MANY PEOPLE.

WE ARE FASCINATED BY THE PLEASURE THESE TINY ADHESIVES PROVIDE TO COLLECTORS OF ALL AGES.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE STAMPS AND WHY?

SEND US A NOTE AND LET US KNOW - WE WANT TO TELL YOUR STORY!

NobleSpirit is the Spellman Museum's proud 2024 events sponsor and valued resource

Evaluations The Spellman Museum team can direct you to a highly qualified stamp dealer or independent appraiser.

Have a collection to donator or appraise?

LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH!

The Spellman Museum is a

treasured resource, locally and nationally, and beyond!

As a 501(c)3 support-driven entity, we appreciate all forms of support.

If you have a collection to be evaluated, feel free to call or email Joseph Mullin, Public Affairs Director, to arrange the visit.

He can be reached at 781-768-8367.

If you'd like to support the museum with a donation, please visit spellmanmuseum.org

If you'd like to visit the Museum, simply stop by Thursdays - Sundays, noon - 5pm.

Or, feel free to call to schedule a private tour.

We joyfully welcome all!

Plus we are really fun!

781-768-8367

YOUTH AND SENIOR MEMBERSHIPS ARE MORE

AND MORE POPULAR!

The Museum continues to offer a complimentary, one-year membership for children. Youth members receive a monthly packet of topical stamps, worksheets and philatelic information, a discount in the Museum store, a monthly stamp calendar plus free admission for themselves and the family. For more information, contact Jessica Leuschner.

Our seniors are a treasured segment of our membership. Established last year, this $25 membership offers those individuals all of the benefits and joys of membership. Contact us for more information!

Have ideas? Want to share?

Please send us any and all ideas!