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

Add nostalgic flair to your holiday letters with these vintage unused Christmas Issue "Poinsettia" 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: Poinsettia
• Series: Third Christmas Issue
• Year Issued: 1964
• Face Value: 5-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Christmas, Holidays, Nochebuena, Flower of the Holy Night, Red Flower, Red Plant, Winter Flora, Winter Wedding, Mexico, Mexican Wedding
• Color(s): Green and Red
• Printing Method: Giori Press
• Scott Number: 1256
• Adhesion Type: Gummed
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

STAMP HISTORY: The 1964 5¢ “Poinsettia” Christmas stamp was issued by the U.S. Post Office Department on November 9, 1964, as part of four se-tenant (connected) Christmas stamps released that year. Together, these four connected issues marked the third consecutive year of U.S. Christmas postage stamps and reflected the growing national enthusiasm for decorating holiday mail.

The “Poinsettia” design features a bright red poinsettia blossom—its star-shaped bracts arranged around a yellow center—set against a clean white background. The design was created under the direction of Jim Crawford, an art director for the Post Office Department, and the stamp was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing using the multicolor Giori press, which allowed precise layering of multiple colors in a single printing pass.

The poinsettia was chosen for its widespread association with the Christmas season. Native to Mexico, the plant (known as Flor de Nochebuena, or “Flower of the Holy Night”) had by the mid-20th century become an iconic symbol of holiday celebration in the United States. Its connection to Christmas traces back to 16th-century Mexican legend, in which a poor child, unable to afford a gift for the Christ child, offered humble weeds gathered from the roadside. Miraculously, the weeds blossomed into brilliant red poinsettias—an expression of purity, devotion, and the belief that love transforms even the simplest gifts into beauty.

The Poinsettia design reflected a shift toward more vivid, decorative, and culturally inclusive imagery. The Post Office sought designs that celebrated the spirit of the holiday without relying solely on religious iconography, making the stamps appealing to Americans of all backgrounds. The poinsettia—at once festive, natural, and meaningful—was the perfect choice.

Rooted in both Mexican tradition and American celebration, the poinsettia on this stamp came to symbolize the unity of cultures and the shared human longing for light, generosity, and renewal—themes that remain as timeless as the flower itself.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The 1964 5¢ “Poinsettia” Christmas stamp radiates the themes of purity, divine love, and transformation through humble offering. The poinsettia—known in its native Mexico as La Flor de Nochebuena (“Flower of the Holy Night”)—is far more than a festive decoration; it is a sacred emblem of faith born from simplicity and grace. Its inclusion on this U.S. Christmas stamp reflects not only the beauty of the holiday season but also the deeper spiritual truth that the most meaningful gifts often arise from the humblest of hearts.

According to the Mexican legend behind the poinsettia, a poor child wished to honor the Christ child but had no gift to bring. Guided by faith, the child gathered simple green weeds from the roadside and laid them at the church altar. Miraculously, the leaves transformed into brilliant red blossoms, their star-shaped form echoing the Star of Bethlehem. This story conveys a profound spiritual message: that sincerity and love transform even the simplest acts into offerings worthy of the divine. The poinsettia thus embodies the sacred principle that true devotion is measured not by grandeur, but by purity of intention.

Even beyond Christian tradition, the poinsettia carries a broader, universal symbolism. As a plant that blooms in the darkest season, it represents the triumph of light over shadow, faith over despair, and beauty emerging from hardship. Its radiant color in the midst of winter mirrors the human soul’s capacity to flourish in times of stillness and difficulty—to become a living testament to divine vitality.

On a deeper level, the 1964 “Poinsettia” stamp can be seen as a meditation on the spiritual nature of giving and grace. Like the child in the legend, we are reminded that what matters most is the spirit behind our actions—the willingness to offer what we have, however small, with love. The poinsettia’s transformation from humble weed to sacred flower mirrors the inner alchemy of the soul: through faith, even our most ordinary gestures become vessels of light.

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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