Canada Post unveils new holiday and Christmas stamps

Canada Post has released its annual holiday stamps, celebrating the season with both festive and religious themes.

One stamp series tells “a nostalgic winter tale of friendship,” while the other features “a whimsical illustration of the Nativity scene,” the postal service said in a statement. The Crown corporation has issued Christmas and holiday stamps every year since 1964.

The Christmas stamp depicts the Nativity story, “set beneath the bright shining star of Bethlehem with the Magi approaching in the distance,” highlighting Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, along with an angel announcing Jesus’s birth. The design was created by Bex Morley of Vancouver Island. First day covers were cancelled in Hope, B.C., referencing the message of hope central to the Nativity story.

The holiday stamp series illustrates “the holiday spirit through the storybook tale of a sly fox, a playful rabbit and two productive squirrels busily decorating their forest home for the festive season.” The design was created by Kristine Do of Toronto and illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey of Kingston, Ont.