Here’s a selection of Christmas postage stamps from around the world in 2009. Countries represented here are Aland Islands, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA and The Vatican. Leave a comment if you know of other countries that should be added to the list. The first set on the list (alphabetical order) is from the Aland Islands, designed by Linn Dahlblom.
Andorra Ephiphany stamp, 2010
Argentina Christmas stamp, 2009
Australia Christmas stamps designed by Mike Heine. Christmas Island stamp designed by Rob Kiely.
Austria stamp celebrates 60 years of Christkindl Post.
Christmas stamp souvenir sheet from Belarus, featuring Batleika puppet show, designed by Galina Yermalovich.
Christmas stamps from Belgium, Joyeuses fêtes, designed by Els Vandevyvere
Brazil stamps featuring traditional nativity Ana Rech, located in the municipality of Caxias do Sul, in Rio Grande do Sul.
Bulgaria Christmas Stamp 2009
Christmas stamps from Canada designed by I. Charney Design Inc, based on the creches of Sylvia Daoust, Keena, and Michel Forest, with photography by Paul McCarthy.
Stamps from Chile designed by Claudio Mella
Croatia Christmas stamps, Adoration of the Shepherds, designed by Igor Kuduz, with photography by Milan Drmić.
Czech Republic stamp, designed by Lenka Vybíralová, engraved by Jaroslav Tvrdoň.
Denmark stamps designed by Jens Hage
Estonia Christmas stamps designed by Lembit Lõhmus.
Finland stamps: Christmas is Near: A Pair, and Amaryllis designed by Minna Immonen
Germany stamps designed by Elisabeth Hau feature representations of the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi from the Hoya-missal, a late medieval manuscript.
Gibraltar stamps with photography by Stephen Perera
Greenland stamps designed by Naja Rosing-Asvid
Guernsey stamps feature twelve photographs of the island’s churches at night
Hungary stamps with “Our Lady of the Way” by Masa Feszty, based on a photograph by Jozsef Hajdu. Postmarks designed by Barnabas Baticz.
Stamps from Iceland: “Sermon on the Mount” by Gudmundur from Middal and “Holy Mother of God” by Finnur Jonsson.
Christmas stamps from Ireland using images from the Gospel Book from the Monastery of Gamaghiel, Khizan, reproduced courtesy of the Chester Beatty Library. The 55 cent stamp based on portrait of the Virgin and Child by Flemish artist Simon Bening.
Isle of Man Christmas stamps featuring Santa
Christmas stamps from Italy feature Adoration of the Shepherds” by Domenico Piola and a secular stamp designed by Angelo Merenda.
Latvia stamps designed by Ģirts Grīva.
Liechtenstein Christmas stamps: Annunciation, Road to Bethlehem, Birth of Christ, The Three Magi
Lithuania Christmas stamps designed by I. Balakauskaitė.
Christmas stamps from Luxembourg designed by Roger Leiner.
Macedonia Christmas stamp designed by L. Zivkovska Donev.
Mexico stamps, Santa, Baltazar, Caspar and Melchior, designed by Vivek Luis Martínez Avín.
Monaco Christmas stamp 2009 designed by Thierry Mordant.
Netherland Christmas series designed by Femque van Geffen and Janneke Dröge at Blond Amsterdam.
New Caledonia Christmas stamp designed by J.J. Mahuteau.
Nativity scenes by Wellington artist Stephen Fuller. Contemporary images from New Zealand Post’s 2009 Design a Stamp competition.
Niue Christmas Stamps
Norway Christmas Stamps designed by Madeleine Mortenson, featuring lyrics from Christmas carols
Philippines Christmas Stamps
Christmas stamps from Poland designed by Ewa Szydłowska.
Christmas stamps from Portugal.
Romania Christmas stamps 2009
The San Marino Christmas stamps feature “Rest on the flight into Egypt” by Caravaggio.
Slovenia Christmas stamps designed by Tjaša Štempihar, Mojca Fo and Jelka Reichman.
Spanish stamps using paintings by J. Carrero.
Christmas stamps from Sweden designed by Siri Ahmed Backström.
Swiss stamps designed by Jenny Leibundgut, Berne.
Ukraine Christmas stamps by Tatiana Nesterova (Ded Moroz – Santa) and Natalia Fandikovoyi (angels and Christmas stars)
Royal Mail stamps for the UK designed by Andrew Ross, using art by William Morris, Henry Holiday and Sir Edward Burne-Jones.
The USA holiday series includes stamps for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Eid. The Christmas stamp, Madonna and Sleeping Child, is based on a painting by the 17th Century Italian artist Giovanni Battista Salvi, commonly known as Sassoferrato.
Uruguay Christmas stamp designed by Edgardo Ribeiro.
Vatican stamps feature Madonna and Child enthroned with two angels and Saints Joachim and Anne, by Renaissance painter Francesco Melanzio.
Great stamp collection.
An exceptional list! Nothing from France?
I think France has focused on user-designed stamps this Christmas.
There are Christamas stamps from Bosnia too
Asian countries are rarely issue Christmas stamps. Religions are become a very sensitive elements in this region even a small piece of stamp. Actually, Christmas as a special celebration day is shown not only religion but a expectable & peaceful day among the world. Thanks for those countries and their designers who had created more beautiful and wonderful stamps for our human beings.
I have collected Christmas stamps from around the world for years. You have a nice collection, and several beautiful issues. You ask what should be included? I have found some of the nicest to be Austria (who had the 1st Christmas stamp), Australia, and Christmas Island.