Since 1964, Canada Post has invited Canadians to frank their holiday mail with festive stamps heralding the Christmas season.
Christmas stamps have become an annual tradition and a joyful sign of the upcoming holidays. Once again, Canadians can adorn their mail with their choice of stamps bearing either sacred or secular imagery.
This year’s sacred issue, designed by Louise Méthé, showcases The Adoration of the Shepherds, a vibrant oil-on-panel painting housed at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Attributed to Italian artist Tommaso di Stefano Lunetti (1495-1564), this carefully composed masterpiece was based on Luke’s gospel, in which angels announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds, who then rushed from their fields to find their newborn saviour.
The Christmas Animals stamps were designed by Hélène L’Heureux with illustrations by Christiane Beauregard. They feature three classic Canadian creatures—a cheery polar bear (Permanent domestic rate), a brilliant red cardinal (U.S. rate), and a caribou festooned with lights (International rate)—that are sure to add a touch of festive whimsy to your holiday mail.