Related Articles
By David Hartwig
Canada Post introduced four stamps Nov. 6 to usher in the festive Christmas season, continuing a tradition that began in 1964.
As in previous years, the 2025 stamps include both sacred and secular imagery.
A single religious-themed permanent-rate stamp shows a rendition of the Nativity scene with Mary, Joseph and Jesus. The Magi (also known as the three kings or the three wise men) are seen arriving in the distance, and an angel appears next to the star of Bethlehem at the top of the stamp.
Canada Post issued the permanent-rate stamp (currently $1.24) in a booklet of 12. The Christmas stamp was illustrated by Bex Morley and designed by Sputnik Design Partners Inc.
The first-day cover for this stamp bears a cancel from Hope, British Columbia, featuring a line-drawn illustration of the star of Bethlehem.
Canada Post’s secular holiday stamp offering is titled Holiday Tinsel Tales. These three stamps depict different woodland animals decorating trees for the holiday season.
A fox in a scarf decorates a pine tree on the domestic-rate stamp.
The $1.75 stamp for letters mailed to the United States shows two squirrels, both wearing mittens and one wearing a winter hat with the other wearing earmuffs, decorating the trunk of a tree.
Last in the series is a rabbit wearing a scarf and decorating the branches of a tree. This is the design for the $3.65 rate for letters to other international destinations.
All three Holiday Tinsel Tales stamps are se-tenant (side-by-side) on a souvenir sheet. The sheet’s background shows decorated pine trees set against the night sky.
Canada Post’s Holiday Tinsel Tales FDC is franked with the souvenir sheet. The FDC is postmarked from Fox Creek, Alberta, with a cancel depicting a ball ornament with a snowflake inside.
The Holiday Tinsel Tales set was designed by Kristine Do and illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey. The permanent-rate stamp was printed in booklets of 12, while the $1.75 and $3.65 stamps were each printed in booklets of six.
The stamps were printed in the following quantities: 250,000 Christmas booklets, 800,000 permanent-rate Holiday Tinsel Tales booklets; 250,000 U.S.-rate booklets; 250,000 international-rate booklets; and 40,000 souvenir sheets.
Canada Post’s ordering numbers for the stamp booklets, souvenir sheet and FDCs are 114303 (Christmas booklet), 414303131 (Christmas FDC), 114304 (Holiday Tinsel Tales permanent-rate booklet), 114305 ($1.75 booklet), 114306 ($3.65 booklet), 404304145 (souvenir sheet) and 404304144 (Holiday Tinsel Tales FDC).
At the time of publication, customers in the United States cannot purchase these or other products from Canada Post due to U.S. Customs changes.
For those outside of the United States, products in the Nov. 6 issue are available from Canada Post at www.canadapost.ca/shop, and by mail order from Canada Post Customer Service, Box 90022, 2701 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, ON K1V 1J8 Canada; or by telephone from Canada at 800-565-4362, and from other countries at 902-863-6550.
Connect with Linn’s Stamp News:
Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
