Christmas Issue "Holly" Stamps (Winter, Holidays, Flora) Unused USPS Postage 5c

Add nostalgic flair to your holiday letters with these vintage unused Christmas Issue "Holly" postage stamps! This nostalgic holiday design is perfect for adding a touch of class to your holiday cards and letters or winter save-the-dates and weddings. In pristine mint condition and valid for current postage use, each stamp holds a face value of 5-cents. These USPS postage stamps are suitable for current mailing when used with the total required postage based on the weight of your correspondence. Embrace the charm of winter with this enchanting vintage postage stamp!

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: Holly
• Series: Third Christmas Issue
• Year Issued: 1964
• Face Value: 5-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Christmas Holly, Holiday Decor, Winter Flora
• Color(s): Green and Red
• Printing Method: Giori Press
• Scott Number: 1254
• Adhesion Type: Gummed
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

STAMP HISTORY: The 1964 5¢ “Holly” Christmas stamp holds a special place in U.S. postal history as one of four se-tenant (connected) stamps that were America’s third Christmas postage stamps that helped establish the now-annual tradition of issuing at least one holiday-themed stamp. It was released by the U.S. Post Office Department on November 9, 1964, in Washington, D.C., during a time when Christmas postage had become an eagerly anticipated national symbol of the holiday season.

The stamp’s design features a simple yet elegant image of a green sprig of holly with bright red berries, set against a white background. This minimalist, nature-based design reflected both the sacred and secular aspects of Christmas: holly being an ancient symbol of eternal life and protection in winter, as well as a familiar decoration in homes during the holidays.

Designed by Jim Crawford, an art director for the Post Office Department, the stamp was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing using the Giori press, which allowed for multicolor intaglio printing. The design’s clean composition and vibrant color balance made it visually striking despite its simplicity, a quality praised by both the public and the press.

The choice of holly was especially appropriate for a year when the Post Office sought a more universal and nondenominational Christmas image—something that would appeal to Americans of all faiths who celebrated the holiday season. Holly had deep cultural resonance: in Christian symbolism, its red berries represent the drops of Christ’s blood, and its thorny leaves allude to the crown of thorns, yet it also connects to pre-Christian solstice traditions celebrating the endurance of life through winter.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The 1964 5¢ “Holly” Christmas stamp symbolizes endurance, renewal, and the divine presence that persists even in the coldest seasons of life. Its simple image—a bright green sprig of holly with red berries—carries centuries of sacred meaning, making this small postage stamp not just a decoration for letters, but a quiet emblem of faith and hope.

In Christian symbolism, holly has long been associated with Christ’s passion and eternal life. The sharp, pointed leaves are said to represent the crown of thorns placed upon Christ’s head during the Crucifixion, while the red berries symbolize the drops of His blood, shed for humanity’s redemption. Yet, the holly plant itself is evergreen—alive and vibrant even in the darkest, coldest months of winter—reminding believers that life and love endure beyond death, and that the light of faith survives through every season of darkness.

Beyond its Christian associations, holly carries a more universal spiritual message. Since ancient times, it has been revered as a symbol of protection, fertility, and rebirth. In Celtic and Druidic tradition, holly was the sacred tree of the winter solstice—the “Holly King” ruling the year’s dark half—signifying the promise that the sun will return, and that light always follows shadow. The Holly stamp, then, speaks to the universal rhythm of renewal: the faith that warmth, growth, and spiritual awakening will return, no matter how long the night.

The red and green color scheme deepens this message. Red, the color of vitality and divine love, balances with green, the color of growth and eternal life. Together, they express the harmony between sacrifice and renewal, passion and peace—a reflection of the spiritual balance that the Christmas season invites us to rediscover.

Issued in a time of cultural optimism and simplicity, the 1964 “Holly” stamp also carries the deeper spiritual undertone of unity. Its nonreligious imagery—free of figures or text from scripture—allowed it to reach beyond denomination, embodying the idea that the sacred can be found in nature itself, and that the symbols of hope, life, and compassion belong to all.

GUMMED STAMPS: These postage stamps have a traditional moisture-activated gum on the back. These stamps require licking or wetting to adhere to envelopes or other surfaces. To ensure good adhesion, apply vintage gummed stamps to your mailings with a glue stick (we recommend using Elmer's "Re-Stick" glue sticks).

GENUINE USPS POSTAGE: These unused vintage postage stamps are perfectly valid for use as current postage for mailing with USPS as long as you use the adequate amount of additional postage to achieve standard postage rates according to the weight of your mailing. Check current postage rates at USPS.com.

QUESTIONS? We love hearing from our customers and replies to inquires are usually answered the same day. Need more of this stamp? Looking for a particular stamp not found on our website? Want a curated postage set for your special event? Contact us with questions about vintage postage stamps and our services…

TELL YOUR STORY IN STAMPS: We’ve worked with hundreds of couples and their stationers to custom design highly stylized personalized postage sets based on our customer’s life stories. We can help you curate personalized vintage postage sets to commemorate your save-the-date, wedding, shower, announcement, and other special occasions in a truly unique fashion. Drawing on our encyclopedic knowledge of every stamp ever issued by the USPS, and sourcing from our extensive inventory of collectable unused vintage stamps, we’ll help you tell your unique story in stamps!

ABOUT HERITAGE POST HOUSE: Jennifer Kramer is the founder of Heritage Post House, a boutique vintage postage house located in Northern California. Jennifer sources the most beautiful unused vintage postage stamps ever issued by USPS and artfully arranges them into curated postage sets that are sure to add a special touch to your invitations, announcements, and special mailings. In addition to creating pre-arranged postage sets, Jennifer also works with couples (and their stationers) to create one-of-a-kind custom postage arrangements for wedding invitations, save the dates, and other special occasions.

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