Holly Postage Stamps | Third Christmas Issue | Christmas Holly & Holiday Greenery | Vintage Unused USPS Postage 5c

Add classic mid-century Christmas color and traditional holiday greenery to your correspondence with these unused vintage Holly postage stamps from the USPS Third Christmas Issue! Featuring glossy green holly leaves and bright red berries, this festive 1964 design evokes Christmas wreaths, evergreen decorations, winter greenery, traditional holiday décor, and the warmth of vintage Christmas celebrations. Perfect for Christmas cards, holiday greetings, winter correspondence, seasonal invitations, gift enclosures, thank you notes, and other festive mailings, these stamps bring an unmistakably traditional Christmas touch to your envelopes.

In pristine mint condition and valid for current postage use, each stamp holds a face value of 5-cents. These authentic USPS postage stamps are suitable for current mailing when used with the total required postage based on the weight of your mailing.

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Stamp Name: Holly
• Stamp Series: Third Christmas Issue
• Year Issued: 1964
• Face Value: 5-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Holly, Christmas Holly, American Holly, Ilex opaca, Holly Leaves, Red Berries, Christmas Greenery, Holiday Greenery, Evergreen Decor, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Wreaths, Winter Flora, Winter Greenery, Traditional Christmas, Christmas Plants, Holiday Plants, Christmas Symbols, Seasonal Decor, Third Christmas Issue, Se-Tenant Stamps, Mid-Century Christmas, Thomas F. Naegele
• Color(s): Green, Carmine, Black
• Mailing Occasions: Christmas Cards, Christmas Greetings, Holiday Cards, Holiday Greetings, Winter Holiday Mail, Seasonal Correspondence, Christmas Party Invitations, Holiday Party Invitations, Gift Enclosures, Christmas Thank You Notes, Winter Correspondence, Everyday Holiday Mail
• Printing Method: Giori Press
• Scott Number: 1254
• Adhesion Type: Gummed (see adhesion instructions below)
• Stamp Size: 33 × 26 mm / 1.30 × 1.02 in
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

STAMP DESCRIPTION & HISTORY: The 1964 Holly stamp was issued as one of four 5-cent Christmas designs in the USPS Third Christmas Issue, together with Mistletoe, Poinsettia, and Sprig of Conifer. The stamp features a bold graphic arrangement of green holly leaves and carmine-red berries against a black background. Issued on November 9, 1964, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the stamps were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing using the Giori Press. The issue was historically significant as the first U.S. stamp issue to place multiple different designs together on the same sheet in se-tenant format.

ABOUT HOLLY: Holly, particularly American Holly (Ilex opaca), is an evergreen tree native to the eastern and central United States and is widely recognized for its glossy green leaves and bright red berries. Its evergreen foliage remains colorful through winter, helping make holly one of the most enduring botanical symbols of the Christmas season. Holly branches are commonly used in wreaths, garlands, table arrangements, door decorations, and other traditional holiday displays.

HOLLY & CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS: Holly has been associated with winter celebrations for centuries, and its evergreen foliage made it a natural symbol of life and endurance during the darkest months of the year. In Christian Christmas tradition, the plant later acquired additional symbolism: its pointed leaves have been associated with the crown of thorns, while its red berries have been linked symbolically with the blood of Christ. Today, holly remains one of the most recognizable botanical symbols of Christmas and appears widely in holiday cards, wreaths, wrapping paper, decorations, and seasonal artwork. Mystic likewise identifies this 1964 design specifically as “Christmas Holly” and notes its traditional Christian symbolism.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The Holly design can symbolize protection, resilience, hope, faith, renewal, and enduring life through winter. Its evergreen leaves can suggest constancy and perseverance, while its red berries bring associations with warmth, celebration, and the traditional colors of Christmas. In Christian symbolism, holly can also represent sacrifice and faith, giving the design additional meaning for religious Christmas correspondence and seasonal celebrations.

STAMP SERIES HISTORY: The USPS Third Christmas Issue was released on November 9, 1964, as four different 5-cent Christmas designs featuring Holly, Mistletoe, Poinsettia, and Sprig of Conifer. The four designs were printed together in se-tenant format, making the issue the first U.S. postage-stamp sheet to combine multiple different stamp designs in this manner. Issued in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the series combined traditional Christmas plants with a clean mid-century graphic style that remains especially distinctive among early U.S. Christmas stamps.