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Royal Mail is celebrating Christmas with a series of six special stamps telling the story of the Nativity through stained-glass windows.
Scenes from windows in six churches across the country, covering a range of eras, styles and techniques, are included in the set, which will be on sale from Tuesday.
The Nativity story is a common subject in stained-glass artistry, with scenes often focused on the relationship between the new-born infant Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
The 2nd Class stamp depicts the Adoration of the Magi from the east window of St Andrew’s Church in the village of East Lexham in Norfolk, the round tower of which is said to be one of the oldest in England, built around 900AD.
The 1st Class stamp sees Mary cradling the new-born Christ child in a brightly coloured window from St Andrew’s Church in Coln Rogers, Gloucestershire.
Another stamp shows the Virgin and Child scene from a window in Church of St James in Hollowell, Northamptonshire, which is known for its stained-glass windows.
The Virgin and Child scene is also seen in the £1.70 stamp, with Mary seated and holding the infant Jesus on her knee, taken from a window in the All Saints Church in Otley, West Yorkshire.
A stained-glass window from St Columba’s Church in Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, is divided into three lights, showing three scenes in the life of Mary which also relate to the birth of Christ.
The £2.50 stamp in the Royal Mail series includes a scene from this colourful window, showing the details of the Holy Family.
The final £2.55 stamp shows a section of a window from the Christ Church in Coalville, Leicestershire, which focuses on Mary and the Christ child.
Philip Parker, of Royal Mail, said: “Our beautiful Christmas stamps feature the Nativity as told through the artistry of different styles of stained-glass windows.”
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