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Bongo Java's NunBun gains stamp status!
We're very proud to announce that the US Postal Service has announced that member-roaster Bongo Java's much-loved, and now famous, NunBun -- an ordinary cinnamon bun that many believe looked like Mother Teresa -- will be an official postage stamp! Below, Bongo Java sums up this momentous event!
The official Nunbun 42 cent stamp
*NOTE*: We thought you might enjoy a BELATED April fools' joke and also give you the chance to learn a little history of one of our beloved roasters!*
From Bongo Java's "Club Bongo" newsletter...
"Miracles -- unlike lightening -- can strike twice.
The United States Postal Service just announced that our NunBun -- an ordinary cinnamon bun that many believe looked like Mother Teresa -- will be an official postage stamp.
The NunBun stamp is part of a six stamp series of such miracles which also includes the Virgin Mary on a grilled cheese sandwich, Jesus' image on a mandolin, Madonna on a piece of toast, Moses on a cornflake and Allah on a cupcake.
News of the stamp was almost as shocking as the original bun discovery. We knew the NunBun was nominated and had made some sort of short list. But we were led to believe this series wasn't going to happen because of the religious nature of it all.
The Post Office spokesperson who called to tell us about the news said that ultimately humor outweighed the religious aspects when the committee voted on the stamp series.
New stamps must be approved by the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee. CSAC is tasked with evaluating the merits of all stamp proposals. Established in 1957, the Committee provides the Postal Service with a "breadth of judgment and depth of experience in various areas that influence subject matter, character and beauty of postage stamps.
The NunBun, discovered in 1996, was an ordinary cinnamon bun that looked remarkably like Mother Teresa. News about the NunBun was in media outlets around the world, including New York Times, Late Show with David Letterman, NPR and a certain Calcutta newspaper. You can read the full story of our NunBun on our website.
The idea for the series was submitted by Utah resident Wyatt Pringle who in 1974 claimed to have seen the image of Abraham Lincoln in a bowl of tapioca pudding. Unfortunately, when Mr. Pringle went to find his camera his dog Linus jumped on the table and ate enough of the pudding that the image was destroyed. He vowed right then to collect stories about this so-dubbed pareidolia images.
"I could still make out the beard and part of the hat," Mr. Pringle was quoted in a 1995 Time magazine piece. "But the face was gone and that's what really made this find special."
He created the Pareidolia Society in 1989 and started his stamp crusade about 10 years ago "There are stamps for everything," he said in the same article. "Why not one of a picture of Buddah on a banana?" (The banana image ultimately didn't make the series.)
According to dictionary.com, the term pareidolia describes a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant. Common examples include seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon, and hearing hidden messages on records played in reverse. 
The stamp series is expected to be kicked off on September 9, 2009 (9/9/09) to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Pareidolia Society. 999 has special significance amongst Pareidolia researchers because many believe it looks like 666 when viewed from other angles. The Postal Service typically has some sort of a ceremonial event with the issuing of a new stamp.
We of course will have our own ceremony. Currently we're thinking of charging people in stamps that day instead of money.
For instance, a latte might be five stamps and a bagel three.
We promise to send more details as soon as we have them! "
To learn the official history of the Nunbun go to: http://www.bongojava.com/nunbun.php
