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Starting with the issuance of the annual Christmas stamps in November, the Vatican Post Office has followed up with a number of Christmas-related postmarks for the holiday season. Here is a look at the Christmas stamps and postmarks as we head into the final days approaching the holiday. 
 2025 Christmas Stamps and Booklet Cover 2025 Christmas Stamps: released on November 7, this year’s stamp design is taken from the "Adoration of the Shepherds”, a 16th-century work by the Flemish master Pieter van Aelst. The original piece, a tapestry woven from drawings from the school of the Renaissance master Raphael, is housed in the Vatican Museums. The two stamps were issued in sheets of ten each, as well as in booklet format, with the booklet page consisting of two each of the 1.30-euro and 1.35-euro stamps.  Christmas Season Postmarks Ordinary Postal Cancellations for the Christmas Season: unveiled on December 1, 2025, and to be used through January 10, 2026, the circular postmarks shown above are used to cancel all postal correspondence during this period. The “C” in the lower moon is for “Settore Partenze” (departing mail), the “CA” indicates “Settore Arrivi” (arriving mail) and “P” is for “Area Pacchi” (parcels). The imprint “Christus natus est Alleluia” announces “Christ Is Born Alleluia”.  Nativity Scene Postmark Inauguration of the Nativity Scene in Saint Peter’s Square: in a departure from past years, the Vatican introduced a special postmark to commemorate the unveiling of the nativity scene and the lighting of the Christmas Tree in Saint Peter’s Square on December 15, 2025. A brief video of this event can be viewed by clicking on the link in the References.  Christmas Day Postmark Christmas Day Postmark: first shown on December 15, the postmark is modeled after the image on the 1.35-euro Christmas stamp showing the Baby Jesus and the Blessed Mother. The postmark is used to cancel the stamps found on the envelopes in the annual Christmas folder, which contains two envelopes, each franked with one of this year’s Christmas stamps. The press release does not indicate whether this postmark is used for any other purpose other than to cancel the stamps on these post office-issued envelopes. REFERENCES: |
