HO, HO, Oh I’m so late in posting Christmas 2024 stamps! Yup, it was a weird and wobbly health year that resulted in fewer posts and everything being pushed back.  The backlog of stamps is about the size of Mount Everest. I’m wading through them as fast as I can, as well as trying to pull together new articles to keep you busy.  

The Christmas stamps from last year produced a number of excellent issues. The top three sets came from the Isle of Mann, the Netherlands and once again Sri Lanka.  The first two were secular in nature and Sri Lanka produced the best religious themed set.

The Isle of Mann deserved their top 3 ranking courtesy of Manx artist Rowan Corlett’s wonderful Christmas animals. I mean we have a cat and a puffin! Win-win all around. 

Linda Faas’ animals for the Netherlands was a combination of sweet, and nostalgic played out with Faas’ trademark whimsical animals. 

Sri Lanka continues to wow with their unique artwork for the Gift of the Magi.  The artwork definitely has a Sri Lankan artistic flair that put this one back in the top choices gain. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka post doesn’t list the artists for the Nativity stamps, which is a shame. It would be nice to credit the work. 

2024 just may be Jersey’s year to shine. Just wait until you see their delicious offerings. Enjoy this work in progress. I’m posting this December 14, as I continue to find and post Christmas stamps. I never did like to wait to open presents. 

Åland

Christmas 2024 – Knitted Presents

2 stamps, FDC, cancel
offset

Homemade Christmas presents

A series of Christmas seals was also released on the same day. Funds raised from the sale of the seals go to the 4-H Åland district. 
“The grant will be used to purchase magnet fishing gear for the fishing school for children and for building materials for nest boxes to be hung along a nature trail in Jomala.”
Christmas seals 2024 – Åland Stamps

Artist: Anna Pers Bräcke
Designer: Johanna Finne

Release date: October 23, 2024   

Alderney

Alderney Christmas – Snowman

7 stamps, FDC, cancel, presentation pack
offset

60p – Christmas Postings, High Street, St Annes

65p – Shooting Star, Bonne Terre Watermill

88p – Christmas Party, Roc a l’epine dolmen, Tourgis

£1.20 – The Christmas lookouts, Monk’s Chair, Clonque Beach

£1.36 – Is it a snowman? Navigational beacon, Old Jetty Braye Harbour

£1.68 – Lovebirds at Essex Castle

£1.74 – Festive dancing, Allees es Fees, Hauteville

Designer: Penny Dawes
Penny wrote “Once Upon an Island – A Treasury of Guernsey Folklore” which was also a special exhibit by the National Trust of Guernsey. She lives and works on Guernsey and loves to explore island folklore through her art. 

Release date: October 30, 2024 

Andorra – French

The King’s Cake (Tortell de reis) – Christmas 2024

1 stamp, sheets of 15
offset

The King’s Cake (Tortell de reis in Catalan) is typical of Catalan cuisine. Ring-shaped, made of puff pastry or other, and stuffed with marzipan, with candied fruit, pine nuts and icing sugar on top, decorated with a golden cardboard crown in the center of the cake. In recent times Tortells de reis stuffed with chocolate or cream, among other things, have also been popularized. The standard size is about 50 centimeters in diameter, which is 8 parts, although nowadays there are many dimensions. It is traditional to eat it on January 6 to celebrate the Day of the Kings (Epiphany), this cake contains two hidden surprises: a dried bean and a figurine (normally of one of the kings). According to tradition, whoever finds the figurine in his share is crowned, while whoever finds the bean must pay for the cake. Andorra Stamp – Tortell de Reis – La Poste

Designer/engraver: Line Filhon  
Layout: Stéphanie Ghinéa

Release date: November 12, 2024 

Andorra – Spanish

Christmas – Nadal (Wafers)

1 stamp, cancel
offset

We can always depend on the Spanish post office to supply us with at least one delicious stamp. This year, Andorra celebrates with a Christmas favourite – thin, rolled wafers made of flour, sugar and almonds.

Origin and Varieties:
Waffle production has become a specialized craft, with several regions offering their own unique versions. Several Mediterranean countries such as Catalonia, Italy and France have embraced wafers as a fundamental part of their festivities.

Catalan wafers: In Catalonia, wafers are a key element present on the table of any home during Christmas. They are often made with ingredients such as flour, sugar, and almonds, resulting in a crunchy texture and a rich, sweet flavor. Some versions include additional ingredients like cinnamon or lemon to give them a unique touch.
Wafers, a Christmas tradition that comes from afar – El Gourmet Català

Release date: November 5, 2024 

Argentina

Viñeta

1 stamp, graphic cover, folder
The FDC doesn’t come with the stamp. If a person wants it stamped correctly, both the stamp and cover are purchased separately. 

This stamp celebrates family around the Christmas table giving a classic Christmas Eve toast. No designer or artist is listed, which is a shame.  

Release date: December 11, 2024 

Armenia

No stamp has been issued as of posting.

Australia

Aussie Christmas & Treasures of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

5 stamps, 1 FDC, FDC with mini sheet, cancel, stamp pack, 5 maxi and post cards, gutter strip with flowers, 3 sheetlets. 
offset 

Two sets are offered each year. The secular set is composed of 3 animals unique to Australia

• Carolling Kookaburra
• Kangaroo
• Koala

• $3 Annunciation to the Sheperds

Artist: Anita Xhafer (Secular)

Release date: November 1, 2024 

Austria

Snow Boots

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, info sheet
offset

Austria issues a number of stamps, secular and religious. This year, Österreichische Post started the season with the 2024 addition to their philatelic winter clothing series. There are now 4 stamps in this set. 

Designer: David Gruber

Release date: November 8, 2024 

Christmas – Traismauer Nativity Play

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, info sheet
offset

The Traismauer glove maker Ferdinand Scheibl is considered the creator of the figures and the stage of the nativity play, whose final version likely dates back to 1810. However, some parts of the text are believed to be even older. Until 1917/18, the dialect texts and scenes were passed down orally. In the 1950s, the nativity play was rediscovered in the Traismauer Museum, and since then, it has been performed annually. Around 30 people are involved in a performance of the play. With 42 rod puppets, religious themes such as the birth of Jesus are depicted in 9 scenes and 28 songs. Folk figures are also introduced, and love songs and socially critical songs are performed. The Traismauer singing society stages the performances, in which the audience is traditionally also involved.
Commemorative stamp Christmas – Traismauer nativity play – PostAG

Designer: Marion Füllerer

Release date: November 14, 2024 

Christmas Wreath

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, info sheet
offset

Designer: Lisa Filzi

Release date: November 14, 2024 

Christmas Tree

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, info sheet
offset

The tree is made of the worlds to “Silent Night! Holy Night!”. The song, written by  assistant priest Joseph Mohr in 1816, with music added in 1818 by village schoolteacher and organist Franz Xaver Gruber, the song is now considered part of Austria’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

Designer: Anita Kern

Release date: November 29, 2024 

Organ Nativity Scene at Wagrain Parish Church

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, info sheet
offset

The sculpture is located on a pillar in front of the gallery with the Joseph Mohr Memorial Organ: Joseph Mohr, who wrote the lyrics to the Christmas carol “Silent Night! Holy Night!”, was the vicar of this church from 1837 until his death in 1848. The sculptor Jakob Adlhart (1898–1985), the creator of the “Organ nativity scene”, produced numerous wooden sculptures for churches, primarily in Salzburg, Upper Austria, and southern Germany. In 1925, he created an expressionist crucifix for St. Peter’s Abbey, the Adlhart Cross, which was the motif for the 2010 special stamp series “Sacred art”. His works for the Kleine Festspielhaus (now known as the Haus für Mozart) in Salzburg are also very well known, particularly his marble mime masks from 1926 at the entrance.
Commemorative stamp Christmas – organ nativity scene, Wagrain parish church – PostAG

Designer: Kirsten Lubach

Release date: November 29, 2024 

Belgium

Christmas Reindeer

2 stamps, 2 sheets of 10

Designer: Myriam Voz
Release date: October 21, 2024 

Canada

Christmas – Sacred and Secular

4 stamps 4 booklets, 2 FDCs, 2 cancels

Canada Post issues both a religious themed stamp as well as a Christmassy secular offering. This year features the Holy Family for the sacred and gingerbread houses for the secular stamps. The gingerbread houses come in 4 shapes:
a birdhouse for domestic deiivery, a doghouse for US bound mail and for international mail, a barn housing Santa’s sleigh and reindeer.  

Secular designer: Katina Constantinou of Sugar using photos by Stacey Brandford. Brandford used Zoë Weinrebe’s gingerbread creations 
Sacred designer: Underline Studio and illustrated by Amanda Arlotta

Release date: November 4, 2024 

Denmark

Christmas Seals

There isn’t a philatelic Christmas stamp this year. The annual Christmas Seal set takes its place. Stamps, pins and notecards are available. 

This year’s seal motifs follow a tradition dating back to 1907, marking the current royal succession in Denmark and honoring the King and Queen. Alongside the King and Queen, the Christmas Seal features a wide array of historical symbols, from the Viking ships of the past to today’s royal yacht, from the runes on the Jelling Stone to the letters of the Constitution, from the sky symbols of the Sun Chariot to the Danish astronaut on a mission in space. Queen Mary Participates in the Presentation of 2024 Christmas Seal

Release date: October 3, 2024

Faroe Islands

Julius – the Faroese Santa Claus

2 stamps, booklets of 6 and 2 postcards & maxis
offset

A bit lengthy but a good explanation about the modern origins of the Faroe Island Santa: 

Let’s turn back the clock to 2016, when I stood in the heart of Tórshavn eagerly awaiting the lighting of the grand Christmas tree. Excited families gathered in anticipation, the air filled with festive cheer. The town was adorned with holiday decorations, offering homemade waffles in cozy stalls, while a towering fire engine stood ready to hoist Santa Claus up to the poinsettia at the top of the tree. It was a moment awaited eagerly by children and adults alike.

Then the priest started talking about the holiday, and so did the mayor. The children and I waited impatiently for Santa Claus. I remember being excited to see who this year’s Santa was and how he would do the job. Then I heard the words: “Let’s shout for Santa!” The children shouted louder and louder, and suddenly I heard the recognizable old whistle coming howling up the street. I looked around, hoping that the play would unfold as I had imagined. Fun and wild.

 

Santa got out of the fire engine and the children shouted: “Hello Santa!” It was the first time I wondered why they didn’t call Santa Claus by name. Then my thoughts began to fly. Perhaps I would like this task – to play a Santa Claus that all the children in the Faroe Islands would know by name.

 

When the Christmas tree was lit, I told the organizer who was standing next to me that I would like to try next year. The answer was clear: “You must be allowed to!”

 

Early the following year, I teamed up with a friend, Rógvi Brekku Dam, who has long been part of the entertainment scene in the Faroe Islands, to create a Santa that all families with children would know. The task was taken seriously. We were both excited and impatient. After much discussion, we decided that Santa’s outfit should reflect Faroese style, he should be lively, clumsy, mischievous with a crooked smile, and his name should be Julius.

 

We had many dreams and set ourselves big goals. The dream was to entertain the entire Faroe Islands, create Faroese children’s programs on TV, write new Christmas songs, stage theatrical performances, have our own website, and our biggest wish was to have the children shout, “Hello Julius!”
Sasho Bjartsson Stamps.fo

Designer: Allan Davidsen

Release date: October 17, 2024  

Christmas Seals (15)

15 seal
offset

Money raised from the sales of these seals goes to the Faroese Christmas Seals Fund which supports a variety of programs aimed at children and young people in the Faroe Islands.

Designer/artist: Helga Djurhuus
Faroe Island native Helga Djurhuus studied at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen, and now makes her home in Denmark.

Release date: October 17, 2024 

Finland

Christmas Miracle & Christmas Trails

2 stamps, 1 FDC, cancel
offset

Artist Mainelakeus took her inspiration for this Christmas set from Finland’s natural surroundings. 

Designer: Hanna-Maria Mainelakeus

Release date: November 5, 2024 

Gibraltar

Christmas 2024  

6 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, 2 pack sets
offset

Designer: Stephen Perera 
Illustration / Photographer:  Donnay Style
These are Donnay’s first stamps.

Release date: November 12, 2024 

Greenland

Christmas in Greenland 2024

2 stamps, booklets of 2, 3 FDCs, cancel, 2 sheets of 10
offset

“I have depicted a scene where children are doing various activities in the snow. One motif is two children sledding down a hill, with a Christmas tree in the background and a Christmas star in the window. The other motif is a girl in national costume making a snowman, where you could imagine that she has just been to the church in the background. It is drawn in a children’s illustration style to emphasize the sweetness of the season and to focus on the fact that Christmas is part of the children’s world.”  
Artist Coco Apunnguaq Lynge

Designer: Coco Apunnguaq Lynge
This is Lynge’s 3rd and 4th stamp for Greenland

Release date: October 17, 2024

Guernsey

Guernsey Christmas – The Snowman

7 stamps, FDC, cancel, presentation pack
offset

Each snowman in this series is visiting a different location on the islands.

• 60p – St Saviours Reservoir, watching Santa fly by
• 65p – Torteval Church, sledging down the valley
• 88p – Vazon Bay, winter seaside fun
• £1.20 – Fort Grey, flying with the birds
• £1.36 – Fermain Bay, paddleboarding
• £1.68 – The Fairy Ring, the fairies come out to play
• £1.74 – St Peter Port Lighthouse, watching the shooting stars

Designer: Caroline Veron
Guernsey native Vernon passion is illustrations for children. 
” I absolutely love pouring over all of the gorgeous children’s books with my little girl. I like to create fun and colourful pieces with a splash of magic! “
Caroline Veron | Guernsey Arts

Release date: October 29, 2024 

Isle of Mann

Father Christmas

6 stamps, 6 self adhesive stamps, 2 FDCs, cancel, self adhesive booklet, presentation pack
offset

Designers used imagery from the Victorian era. 

Designers: Bee Design & EJC Design

Release date: October 28, 2024 

Japan

Winter Greetings

10 different stamps on 2 sheets, 2 cancels

According to Japan Post, they originally considered at different design using Christmas bulbs but nixed them because they were too Christmasy. The point of the series was a celebration of winter with hints of Christmas to create a secular winter feel. 

Designer: 貝淵 純子  Junko Kaibuchi

 Release date: November 20, 2024

Jersey

Jersey’s International Christmas

6 stamps, FDC, cancel, presentation pack, 5 sheets of 10
offset

This set really should have been scratch and sniff. Just saying. 

What a pleasure to produce these images for @jsypost new stamp collection. Working in miniature scale is a process I love doing
Photographer Glen Perotte

• Buche de Noel  – rolled sponge cake filled with buttercream, covered in chocolate (France)
• Lé Podîn d’Noué. –  traditional steamed Christmas pudding using a unique recipe from Jersey. 
• Barszcz czerwony Barszcz czerwony – a sour, aromatic beetroot soup with a deep red colour. (Poland)
• Sarmale  – stuffed cabbage leaves with fillings such as pork, rice, bacon and sauerkraut. Slow cooked and served with a heap of sour cream and polenta (Romania)
• Bacalhau da Consoada –  Christmas Eve cod. (Portugal)
• Glazed gammon (South Africa)
• Christmas cake (Ireland)
• Roast turkey and trimmings (Britain)

Photographer: Glen Perotte 
Perotte moved to Jersey in 2014, and in the ten years since has established an advertising photography company that caters to an international market. 
Food styling: Chef Vilanca from The Savoy Jersey  

Release date: November 11, 2024

San Marino

Christmas 2024

1 stamp, sheets of 12, cancel
offset

Painting: Madonna dell’Umiltà, c. 1415. The stamp uses a section from the painting. 
Artist: Masolino da Panicale

Release date: October 25, 2024 

United States

Christmas 2024 – Madonna and Child

1 stamp, 1 FDC with 2 cancels to collect, special ceremony mementoes
offset, microprint

This starts a new series using traditional Christmas motifs

Painting: Madonna and Child
Artist: Workshop of Sassoferrato.Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (1609-1685). 
Location: Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields with participation of William Gicker who acted as  director of stamp services for 25 years.

Designer: Greg Breeding

Release date: September 14, 2024

Holiday Joy

4 stamps, 4 FDCs with 2 cancels, note cards (with stamps), special ceremony mementoes
offset. 

USPS’ annual secular Christmas greeting includes 2 Christmas bulbs, a poinsettia and a snowflake stamp by Mexican-American artist Michelle Muñoz. You can see more of her artwork here Michelle Munoz.

If someone would’ve told me a few years ago that I would get the chance to have a nationwide stamp collection, I wouldn’t have believed it. Having my artwork reach such a large scale was something I never planned, but something I am incredibly grateful for.

My goal when creating these stamps was to ensure my Mexican roots would not only be represented, but also celebrated. While this project is a big milestone in my creative career, the most special part is it has allowed me the opportunity to represent many Latinas/os.
Artist Michelle Muñoz

Digital artist: Michelle Muñoz

Release date: September 14, 2024