최초 크리스마스 우표

[해민진]

The World’s First Christmas Stamp

Get This Day in History by Email

December 7, 1898

Topics: Christmas

Canada #85 – Canada’s first Christmas stamp. Click the image to order.

On December 7, 1898, Canada issued what many consider to be the world’s first Christmas stamp.

In 1898, Imperial Penny Postage was established in Canada, lowering the postage rate from 3¢ to 2¢.  New stamps were needed, and it became Postmaster General William Mulock’s duty to present the design to Queen Victoria for approval.

Canada #86 – About 10 million of each version were printed. Click the image to order.

The new stamp featured a world map with Great Britain’s territories highlighted.  Mulock reportedly suggested issuing the stamp on November 9 “in honor of the prince [of Wales],” but Queen Victoria made her displeasure known immediately, replying “what prince?”  She and her oldest son had a notoriously rocky relationship since Prince Albert’s death in 1861.  The Queen is said to have blamed her son and the stress caused by his “playboy prince” reputation for his father’s death.

빅토리아 여왕의 남편은 1861년 별세. 이 분을 카나다에서 최초 크리스마스 우표 도안으로 채택하려했는데 여뢍이 "뭔 소리!?"

해서 바꿨다.....

여왕은 남편 사망 후 1901년 죽을 때까지  black dress code였다는데 .........실제로는 남편이 속을 좀 썩혔나...........

여왕이 침실에 들어갈 때 남편이 안에서 '누구요?' 하면 여왕이 '대영제국의 여왕'이라하면 문을 안열어주고

'랗버트의 아내'라하면 문을 열어줬다나........  4남5녀를 두었다.

지도의 빨강은 영국의 지배 영역.  색이 과다했다고 error로 꼬집는 사람도 있다. 좀 많게 칠해지긴 했다.

ㅅㅣㅅㅐㄱ이black

Canada #85-86 – Get both of the Canada stamps together.  Click the image to order.

Mullock was able to turn the meeting around by replying “Why, madam, the prince of peace.”  Proposing the new stamp honor Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ satisfied Queen Victoria and she approved the new stamp for issue December 7.  This was the first Canada stamp to feature multiple colors.  The new rate would go into effect on Christmas Day.

The initial printing had a lavender background with the highlighted sections in carmine.  A later printing changed the background color to blue, though there are several shades known to exist between the two colors. 

Canada #434-35 – Canada’s second Christmas issue from 1964. Click the image to order.

It would be several years before other countries issued Christmas stamps.  And Canada didn’t issue another Christmas stamp until 1964.  But today, most countries issue Christmas and other holiday stamps every year.

Click here for lots more Christmas.

The World’s First Christmas Stamp

by Kathy Ward

It is quite a debatable matter as I have found out in the past. Myself, I would like to claim that Canada’s 1898 map stamp was the world’s first. But knowing that its purpose of issue was not for Christmas but to commemorate the introduction of imperial penny postage on Christmas Day 1898, I cannot claim it as the first Christmas issue. The Canada Post 1964 PS 14 states that Canada’s 1964 issues are the first special Christmas issues in Canadian postal history. “Although Canada produced a stamp bearing the words ‘Xmas 1898’ in 1898, the 1964 issues are the first Canadian postage stamps intended especially for use on Christmas mails.”

What then is the world’s first Christmas stamp? First let’s examine, what is a Christmas stamp. According to a Yule Log (bimonthly journal of the Christmas Philatelic Club) of the past and an article by Dominic Sama, I am inclined to agree that a Christmas stamp is a stamp issued expressly for the holiday and pictures a holiday-related motif.

Several stamps fall into the category of showing a holiday-related motif but the question remains, were they issued expressly for the holiday? As mentioned in earlier columns by Ken Mackenzie, founding member of the Christmas Philatelic Club, I have been communicating with many countries trying to find which Christmas related stamps were issued for the holiday. Here are some of the ones I investigated.

Netherlands has issued some early semipostals that have been interpreted as having a Christmas theme. Scott # B12 “Winter” or Child in Manger and B66-69 Child carrying the Star of Hope, symbolical of Christmas Cheer. But communications from the philatelic service state that the Netherlands postal services do not issue special Christmas stamps but on occasion an issue is related to the Christmas theme.

In the book “75 Years of Christmas Stamps” by Waller Sager and Kathleen Berry, a reference is made to a William Wylie article in Scott’s Monthly Journal of Dec. 1971. Wylie claims that Austria’s 1937 Rose and Signs of the Zodiac were the first stamps issued for use on Christmas and New Year greeting cards. For quite some time, I believed this statement. However, my suspicians were aroused when I purchased a First Day Cover of these stamps. On the cachet, it states that the Austrian post office issued the stamps to be used on birth-day (sic) congratulatory letters. A letter from Austria confirmed my suspicions: “The first official Christmas stamp of the Austrian Post has been issued in 1953.”

A 1939 semi-postal from Brazil shows the 3 Wisemen and Star of Bethlehem. But its purpose of issue was not for Christmas. The Brazilian Post Office did not begin “issuing commemorative Christmas stamps” until Dec. 8, 1966.

Hungary 1943. Scott #617, 618 and 619. Message to the Shepherds, Nativity and Adoration of the Magi. There is no doubt that these stamps have a Christmas theme. But were they issued for Christmas use? A letter from Philatelia Hungarica states “the first Christmas stamp in Hungary was issued in December 1943. The curiosity of this issue was that this was the first stamp on the world which depicted expressly Christmas scene.” This has led me to the conclusion that Hungary’s 1943 set is the world’s first Christmas stamp.

Any challenges to the foregoing conclusion? Does anyone have any ideas on which country issued the first Christmas semi-postals?

Send a message to the author, Kathy Ward, at kward33@cogeco.ca

The above article first appeared in the August 1985, Yule Log. Vol. 17, No. 8. The Yule Log is the bimonthly publication of the Christmas Philatelic Club, a worldwide organization.

Christmas Postage Stamps

Each year Australia Post issue a series of Christmas postage stamps to facilitate the mailing of Christmas greeting cards to friends, at a reduced postage rate. In the early 1960's I commenced saving postage stamps with the intention that one wet day when I am old I would assemble them into albums. There was a wet day in November 2000 but I was not old then as I was only 68, however I did sort through the stamps and displayed here are some of the Christmas stamps from that accumulation.

I have just added the 2022 Christmas stamps to the previous years issues, but I am not old yet. This page displays some of the Australian Christmas stamps issued over the last 65 years.

The design of the 1957 Christmas stamp, issued on 6 November 1957 and designed and engraved by Donald Cameron (based on a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds), depicts a child at prayer and the star of Bethlehem, emphasizing the spiritual significance of Christmas.

he first Christmas stamp was issued in Australia on 6th November 1957. My list above starts with the 1959 stamp. To provide a record of the early years copies of the 1957 and 1958 stamps are displayed here.
1957	1957

1959	1960	1963	1968
1969	1977	1978	1981
2000	2000