British stamps ignore Pope’s call to keep Christ in Christmas celebrations

  • Thread starter Thread starter lizardley
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
L

lizardley

Guest
Adeodatus is right, for the past few years we have had a choice of religious or secular Christmas stamps.
 
It was the policy when I worked for Royal Mail that one year would be (Religious) Christmas stamps, the following year, secular stamps (Pictures of snow, Robins, mistletoe etc).

I don’t know if that has changed.
 
I just checked the website for the Royal Mail, and it doesn’t yet have the Christmas stamps depicted.

However, the BBC also confirms that stamps featuring the Madonna and Child will be available this Christmas:
This year the 1st and 2nd class Madonna and Child stamps - first issued in 2007 - can be bought alongside the Wallace & Gromit set.
Click to expand...
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11375402
 
Hey, I have nothing against Wallace and Gromit any other day of the year. The original article link I posted DOES flag up that religious stamps will also be on sale, and that religious and secular festive stamps are issued year about by the Royal Mail. However having to specifically ask for religious stamps, rather than the Madonna and child being the obvious default, makes a mockery out of keeping Christ in Christmas. Let’s be honest, in a busy post office in the run up to Christmas what teller is going to take the time to find the religious stamps, no doubt recycled from previous years?
 
lizardley said:
Let’s be honest, in a busy post office in the run up to Christmas what teller is going to take the time to find the religious stamps, no doubt recycled from previous years?
Click to expand...
Here in the US we have a similar situation. The postal service produces a Madonna and Child stamp for Christmas, typically a reproduction of a classic painting. And it also produces a stamp (or set of stamps) for Christmas with a non-religious theme. I haven’t ever had a problem with getting the religious stamps: our clerks are pretty good-natured about taking a bit of time to find a requested sheet of stamps. However, I have twice gotten scowls (in two different cities) when I asked for the “traditional Christmas stamp” , instead of asking for the “religious Christmas stamp” or the “Madonna and Child stamp.”
 
Dale_M said:
Here in the US we have a similar situation. The postal service produces a Madonna and Child stamp for Christmas, typically a reproduction of a classic painting. And it also produces a stamp (or set of stamps) for Christmas with a non-religious theme. I haven’t ever had a problem with getting the religious stamps: our clerks are pretty good-natured about taking a bit of time to find a requested sheet of stamps. However, I have twice gotten scowls (in two different cities) when I asked for the “traditional Christmas stamp” , instead of asking for the “religious Christmas stamp” or the “Madonna and Child stamp.”
Click to expand...
I have had a different experience. The clerks have always been quite helpful and cheerful in allowing me time to select stamps regardless how busy they have been.
 
OriginalJS said:
I have had a different experience. The clerks have always been quite helpful and cheerful in allowing me time to select stamps regardless how busy they have been.
Click to expand...
Oh, that has been my experience too. 🙂

Considering all the bad press that the US Postal Service gets, I’ve rarely had a complaint with the service I have received. If I have any beef, its the removal of the postage stamp machines from the lobbies of the local postal stations. Those machines were very handy for after-hours, or if a long line existed to reach the clerk. Not to mention, they were the most dependable way of getting dollar coins. :o

My previous comment was simply to note that there seems to be a preference to refer to the Madonna and Child stamp as “religious” and not as “traditional.”
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top