Every now and then, I like to climb into the “WayBack Machine” to revisit times or things I recall with fondness. One of those, I trust, still continues – Christmas cards. To be politically and/or postally correct I suppose they are now called “Holiday cards.” Doesn’t matter. I just remember their arrival beginning after Thanksgiving and extending to Christmas.
I have to hope such cards are still a popular holiday medium. We get quite a few. Not as many as we once did. When I was young, we would receive stacks of cards that went into a holiday basket. We would regularly sift through them seeing who had sent what. For many it was and still is common practice to include or feature family photos. Those were always the most interesting.
As a government entity, the Postal Service has been required to remain neutral about Christmas. They couldn’t promote the holiday or the sending of cards, per se. They found a way around that.
In the early 1960s, the postal rate was five-cents. (For those under age 30, I’m not making that up. Mail was that inexpensive.) The USPS knew how profitable the mailing of Christmas cards was and wanted to maintain and encourage it....
Because the postal folks knew those envelopes wouldn’t contain anything valuable or of interest to thieves, they announced any mail sent during the holidays (meaning Christmas cards) with the flap not sealed could be sent for the previous rate of four-cents instead of five. That represented a savings of 20 percent – a significant amount if mailing 100 or 200 cards. Remember, back then, gas was barely 30-cents a gallon.
The first US Christmas stamp was issued in 1962. That four-cent stamp featured a simple green wreath with a red bow beside two lit candles. The following year, the new five-cent stamp showed the national Christmas tree on the lawn of the White House. Both included the word “Christmas.” Years later, that word would be removed because it was considered too sectarian. Eventually, the word was reinserted. Over the decades, Christmas stamps have become a favorite for collectors. Additionally, some with printing errors have become quite valuable.Because most all philatelic marketing by the USPS appears to be a thing of the past, these days it’s difficult to say exactly what they’re thinking or doing. Ironically, communication is not their strong suit. However, one thing they have maintained and even expanded is their holiday and Christmas stamp issuance to a diverse base.
This year, as in the recent past, postal patrons can select from stamps celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Eid or, yes, even Christmas.
The 2024 stamp for Hanukkah (which starts December 25) shows a rustic and stylized menorah on a blue background with yellow candle flames above. For Kwanzaa, (beginning December 26) that stamp features a colorful illustration of an African male drummer and two vibrant female dancers.
Someone at the USPS realized there were many great classic paintings featuring the Madonna and Child. Religious, yes. But, also timeless works of art. So, along with the snowflake stamps, they started issuing a stamp featuring one of those Christ-child masterpiece paintings from the Renaissance or similar era. The stamp included the name of the artist and year painted. By doing that, the stamps weren’t technically religious. Rather, they honored immortal painters. Most clever.
That practice continues today. Along with the Hanukkah and Kwanzaa stamps, this year, the USPS is releasing three Holiday/Christmas-version stamps. Four feature a pair of ornaments, a poinsettia and a blue flower on a green background. Very attractive. Four others show, yes, four digitally created and yawn-worthy snowflakes.
For the “traditional” Christmas stamp, again, the Madonna and Child are showcased. What’s different is, even though the image is in a classical style, it was recently created by artists William Gicker and Greg Breeding for the Postal Service. It even includes “that” word – a holiday miracle.
All of the stamps are available at local post offices or online at www.USPS.gov under the “STORE” tab. All are telling precursors to the looming and anticipated December holidays. Jingle Bells – early.
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