ISLAMIC FESTIVALS Commemorative stamp

The stamp commemorates the two most important festivals -- or eids -- in the Islamic calendar: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, during which Muslims wish one another "Eid mubarak," the phrase featured in Islamic calligraphy on the stamp.The Eid stamp, designed by Zakariya of Arlington, Va., features the Arabic phrase "Eid mubarak" in gold calligraphy on a blue background. English text on the stamps reads "EID GREETINGS."Employing traditional methods and instruments to create this design, Zakariya chose a script known in Arabic as "thuluth." He describes it as "the choice script for a complex composition due to its open proportions and sense of balance."He used homemade black ink, and his pens made from reeds and bamboo. The paper was prepared with a coating of starch and three coats of alum and egg-white varnish, then burnished with an agate stone and aged for more than a year.Zakariya's black-and-white design was then colorized by computer. The colors -- gold script on a blue background -- are reminiscent of great works of Islamic calligraphy. This is Zakariya's first project for the postal service.
Source: U.S. Postal Service