Celebrating Christmas
We have revealed our Christmas 2020 Special Stamps, featuring a series of six stained-glass Nativity scenes.
The scenes showcase the extraordinary detail and craftmanship of this highly specialised decorative art, covering a range of eras, styles and technique.
Stained glass windows from the following churches are included in the set:
- St Andrew’s Church, East Lexham, Norfolk
- St Andrew’s Church, Coln Rogers, Gloucestershire
- Church of St James, Hollowell, Northamptonshire
- All Saints’ Church, Otley,West West Yorkshire
- St Columba’s Church, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire
- Christ Church, Coalville, Leicestershire
Traditionally, stained glass windows are assembled from pieces of coloured glass, held together with lead. The techniques of making stained glass have hardly changed since the Middle Ages.
The Nativity is a common subject in stained glass artistry and from the 13th century onwards, scenes often focused on the relationship between the new-born infant Jesus and his mother, the Virgin Mary.
Philip Parker, stamp strategy manager, said: ‘Our beautiful Christmas stamps feature the Nativity as told through the artistry of different styles of stained-glass windows.’
The stamps are on sale from today (Tuesday 3 November) and will be available at www.royalmail.com/christmas2020, by phone on 03457 641 641 and in 7,000 Post Offices across the UK. In addition, around 1,000 retailers will stock Christmas stamp books this year.
