Royal Mail has revealed new stamps for Christmas 2023 – and shared the perfect dates for posting your playing cards to verify they get delivered on time.
This yr’s batch of festive stamps incorporates photographs impressed by the themes of Christmas carols and have lyrics from O Holy Night, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, Silent Night, Away In A Manger and We Three Kings.
The festive stamps are the primary to characteristic the silhouette of the King, with final yr’s nonetheless adorned with that of Queen Elizabeth II.
Royal Mail’s new stamps additionally permit clients to look at a Christmas-themed video created by the award-winning Aardman animation studio.
The embedded video – accessed by way of the barcodes on the stamps – exhibits Shaun the Sheep and his pals sending some festive cheer to the farmer’s canine.
The first Christmas stamps, issued in December 1966, had been the results of a kids’s artwork competitors introduced by the then postmaster normal Tony Benn.
David Gold, Royal Mail’s director of exterior affairs and coverage, stated: “For many, the launch of the annual Christmas stamps is the sign to start writing these Christmas playing cards.
“The charming style of these designs, which were inspired by the carols that are so familiar to us all, set the perfect tone for the festive season.”
The stamp designs had been created completely for Royal Mail by illustrator Tom Duxbury – a specialist within the medium of woodblock printing – to depict each classic and trendy scenes.
Mr Duxbury has labored on ebook covers together with Philip Pullman’s Serpentine and The Collectors and Sarah Ridgard’s Seldom Seen.
He stated: “‘It’s been a privilege to illustrate the first set of Christmas stamps to bear the silhouette of His Majesty King Charles III. The theme of nativity became a chance to create rich, luminous nightscapes.
“They echo my very own experiences of being out in nature at night time – particularly the moors the place I reside.
“This time and place holds a special kind of feeling; that of stillness, softness, and magic.”
Royal Mail can also be encouraging clients to order on-line presents and buying effectively upfront and to publish their festive greetings early so as to assist its employees ship bumper festive mailbags.
Its newest advisable posting dates for mail to reach in time for Christmas are 18 December for second class, 19 December for top quality and 22 December for particular supply assured.
Source: information.sky.com”