Christmas 2022

Overview

Australia Post has been issuing special seasonal stamp designs for Christmas mailing since 1957 and, since 1975, stamps with reduced denominations for Christmas card postage. As in previous years, this year’s designs span both traditional Christmas scenes and secular elements.

This year’s religious stamps feature illustrations by Gavin Ryan, which pay homage to the use of stained glass as an architectural art form in churches and other public buildings. This year is the United Nations International Year of Glass. The Christmas 2022 minisheet illustration presents a Gothic-style church facade, with the stamps comprising two stylised stained-glass windows, with scenes that feature the Archangel Gabriel and the Madonna and Child.

The secular stamp designs present Christmas greetings and good tidings, together with a colourful Christmas star motif, using shapes and colours not unlike sections of stained glass.

Technical specifications

Issue date: 1 November 2022
Issue withdrawal date: 31 December 2023
Denomination: 65c x 3, $2.60 x 2
Stamp illustration (religious): Gavin Ryan
Stamp design (secular): Simone Sakinofsky, Australia Post Design Studio
Product design: Simone Sakinofsky, Australia Post Design Studio
Paper: gummed: Tullis Russell 104gsm Red Phos
Paper: self-adhesive: Arconvert Securepost MC90, Raflatac Cast s/a sheet 10
Printer (religious): RA Printing
Printer (secular): EGO
Printer (secular sheetlet of 10): Rapid Labels
Printing process: Offset lithography
Printer process (secular sheetlet of 10): Inkjet 1200 dpi
Stamp size (mm): 26 x 37.5
Minisheet size (mm): 135 x 80
Sheetlet of 10 (mm): 192 x 120
Perforations: 14.6 x13.86
Sheet layout: Modules of 50
FDI Postmark: Merrylands NSW 2160
FDI withdrawal date: 29 November 2022

Stamps in this issue

65c Joy

“Joy” represents the feelings of happiness experienced during the festive season.

65c Peace

“Peace” represents the hope that at this special time of year there will be peace on Earth for all.

65c Madonna and Child

This stamp illustration portrays the Madonna tenderly holding the Christ Child in her arms and is presented in the style of a stained-glass window.

$2.60 Noël

Based on the Latin word natalis, the old French word “Noël” means Christmas but also a carol or song in English-speaking cultures. In France “Merry Christmas” is expressed as Joyeux Noël.

$2.60 Archangel Gabriel

This stamp illustration depicts the Archangel Gabriel, an important character in the Christmas story, who announced to the Virgin Mary that she had been chosen to be delivered of a son, Jesus Christ. The design is presented as a stained-glass window scene.

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