Why the stamp was issued:  For use on mail to loved ones and to continue the popular Love series.

About the stamp design:  Pictures “love” in cursive below 12 red, purple, orange, and pink hearts. The color scheme was intended to represent “happy, positive feelings.” Designed by Antonio Alcalá.

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at the Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Not many US stamps have had First Days of Issue in Puerto Rico.

About the Love series:  Based on the popularity of Christmas stamps, the issued its first Love stamp in 1973. It wasn’t intended to be the start of a series, and, in fact, it wasn’t until 1982 that another Love stamp was issued. Love-themed stamps were issued sporadically over the next few years. The stated that they weren’t intended just for Valentine’s Day mail, but also for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions.

In 1987, the officially declared it a series, and new Love stamps have been issued nearly every year since. Love stamps are on sale longer than most commemorative stamps and are usually printed in greater quantities. They have sometimes been known to go back to press for additional printings if demand is sufficient.

History the stamp represents:  Many consider love to be the most powerful emotion we can experience. It can be romantic, platonic, familial, and much more. Every type of love has a measurable effect on how we live and experience the world around use. In fact, scientists have found that people in happy relationships (whether it be a marriage, friendship, or close-knit family) receive long-term physical benefits from feeling love.

In studies, it has been proven that love leads to fewer colds and less pain, meaning fewer doctor’s visits. Love also speeds up healing time from injuries, lowers blood pressure, and decreases anxiety. Overall, love helps reduce stress, which leads to a longer lifespan and an increase in general happiness.

In a time when technology is becoming the preferred method of communication, the way people fall in love is changing. But no matter how unusual or unlikely the circumstances, falling in love will always be in style. It’s amazing that a happy relationship with another person can have so many positive effects on the human body. And researchers say there are likely even more benefits they have not discovered yet. Love really is “a many-splendored thing!”