Canada issues sacred, secular Christmas stamps

By Linn’s Staff

Canada Post introduced two stamp issues on Nov. 4 to usher in the Christmas season, continuing a tradition of issuing holiday stamps that began in 1964.

As in previous years since 2006, the 2024 stamps include both sacred and secular imagery.

A single religious-themed permanent-rate Christmas Nativity stamp portrays the Holy Family. It shows Mary and Joseph looking down lovingly at the infant Jesus in Mary’s arms. A star, considered a guiding light announcing the birth of Jesus, is visible overhead.

The self-adhesive Christmas Nativity stamp, the image of which is in the shape of a tall round top window, features vibrant colors and halos adorning each family member. The issue was designed by Underline Studio and illustrated by Amanda Arlotta.

In the bottom right corner, the letter “P” inside the maple leaf indicates that it is a permanent-rate stamp paying the basic domestic letter rate (currently $1.15). The stamp was issued in booklets of 12.

The first-day cover for the stamp bears a Trinity, Newfoundland and Labrador, cancel featuring a line-drawn illustration of a star similar to the one pictured on the stamp.

Canada Post’s secular holiday issue features three different elaborately decorated gingerbread houses. The domestic-rate stamp features a gingerbread birdhouse with a scarfed cardinal. Next, a doghouse, with a “Beau” door sign and dog wearing a Santa cap, is portrayed on the stamp for the United States rate (currently $1.40). Finally, a barn, home to Santa’s reindeer, is pictured on the international-rate (currently $2.92) stamp.

These self-adhesive Holiday Gingerbread Houses stamps were designed by Katina Constantinou of Sugar, featuring photographs by Stacey Brandford of gingerbread domiciles created by Zoe Weinrebe. The domestic-rate Birdhouse issue is available in booklets of 12, while the U.S.-rate Doghouse and international-rate Barn stamps were issued in booklets of six.

All three Holiday Gingerbread Houses stamps are se-tenant (side-by-side) on a souvenir sheet. The sheet’s background shows a gingerbread cookie and white powdered sugar on a pale blue backdrop.

Canada Post’s Holiday Gingerbread Houses FDC is franked with the souvenir sheet. The FDC is postmarked from Kitchener, Ontario, due to the city’s large German population.

Gingerbread houses are believed to have originated in Germany, where the savory creations were often ornately decorated and eventually became part of Christmas traditions. The FDC cancel is a line drawing of a gingerbread cookie.

Lowe-Martin printed all of the stamps and the souvenir sheet. The quantities were 450,000 permanent-rate Nativity booklets; 1.2 million permanent-rate Holiday Gingerbread Houses booklets; 330,000 U.S.-rate booklets; 330,000 international-rate booklets; and 40,000 souvenir sheets.

Canada Post’s ordering numbers for the stamp booklets, souvenir sheet and FDCs are 114269 (Christmas Nativity booklet), 414269131 (Christmas Nativity FDC), 114270 (Holiday Gingerbread Houses permanent-rate booklet), 114271 ($1.40 U.S. rate booklet), 114272 ($2.92 international rate booklet), 404270145 (souvenir sheet) and 404270144 (Holiday Gingerbread Houses FDC).

The items are available online from Canada Post, and by mail order from Canada Post Customer Service, Box 90022, 2701 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, ON K1V 1J8 Canada; or by telephone from the United States or Canada at 800-565-4362, and from other countries at 902-863-6550.

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