American Holly Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Holly, Red Berries & Evergreen | Vintage Unused USPS Postage 32c

Add classic Christmas greenery and bold red-and-green holiday color to your correspondence with these unused vintage American Holly postage stamps from the USPS Contemporary Christmas series! Featuring a detailed sprig of American holly with glossy green leaves and bright red berries, this festive 1997 design evokes traditional Christmas wreaths, winter greenery, holiday decorating, woodland botanicals, and one of the season’s most enduring natural symbols. Perfect for Christmas cards, holiday greetings, winter correspondence, seasonal invitations, gift enclosures, Christmas thank you notes, and other festive mailings, these stamps bring a timeless and unmistakably traditional Christmas touch to your envelopes.

In pristine mint condition and valid for current postage use, each stamp holds a face value of 32-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: American Holly
• Stamp Series: Contemporary Christmas
• Year Issued: 1997
• Face Value: 32-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): American Holly, Holly, Christmas Holly, Ilex opaca, Holly Leaves, Red Berries, Evergreen, Christmas Evergreen, Christmas Greenery, Holiday Greenery, Winter Botanical, Christmas Plant, Holiday Plant, Christmas Decorations, Holiday Decorations, Traditional Christmas, Botanical Christmas, Contemporary Christmas, Ned Seidler, Howard Paine
• Color(s): Green, Red
• Mailing Occasions: Christmas Cards, Christmas Greetings, Holiday Cards, Holiday Greetings, Winter Holiday Mail, Holly-Themed Christmas Correspondence, Botanical Holiday Mail, Seasonal Correspondence, Christmas Party Invitations, Holiday Party Invitations, Gift Enclosures, Christmas Thank You Notes
• Printing Method: Offset Lithography
• Scott Number: 3177
• Adhesion Type: Self-Adhesive
• Stamp Size: 26 × 23 mm / 1.02 × 0.91 in
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

STAMP DESCRIPTION & HISTORY: The 1997 American Holly stamp was issued as the contemporary Christmas design for that year’s holiday mailing season. The 32-cent self-adhesive stamp features a sprig of American holly with glossy green leaves and vivid red berries, creating a simple and highly recognizable Christmas botanical design. The artwork was created by Ned Seidler, with Howard Paine serving as art director. The stamp was issued on October 30, 1997, in New York, New York, and printed by the Banknote Corporation of America using offset lithography.

ABOUT AMERICAN HOLLY: American holly (Ilex opaca) is a broadleaf evergreen tree native to the eastern and south-central United States. Mature trees can grow to substantial heights and are known for their leathery, spiny green leaves and clusters of bright red berries. The berries provide winter food for birds and other wildlife, while the dense evergreen foliage offers shelter during colder months. Its natural combination of deep green leaves and red fruit has made American holly especially popular in Christmas decorating.

HOLLY & CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS: Holly has been associated with winter celebrations for centuries and became deeply connected with Christmas in Europe and North America. Its evergreen foliage symbolizes endurance and life through winter, while its red berries add the vivid color traditionally associated with the holiday season. Holly branches are commonly used in wreaths, garlands, mantel displays, table arrangements, church decorations, greeting cards, and seasonal floral designs.

HOLLY, RED BERRIES & HOLIDAY DECOR: The visual pairing of green holly leaves and red berries has become one of the most recognizable color combinations in Christmas design. Holly motifs appear on wrapping paper, ornaments, textiles, china, stationery, wreaths, cards, and countless other seasonal decorations. The American Holly stamp distills this familiar imagery into a clean botanical composition that works particularly well for traditional Christmas correspondence.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The American Holly design can symbolize endurance, protection, hope, renewal, peace, and the continuity of life through winter. In Christian tradition, holly has also acquired symbolic associations with Christ’s crown of thorns and red berries with sacrifice. For Christmas correspondence, the evergreen leaves and bright berries offer a classic expression of faith, resilience, seasonal warmth, and traditional holiday beauty.

STAMP SERIES HISTORY: The USPS Contemporary Christmas series provided secular holiday imagery alongside the Postal Service’s traditional religious Christmas issues. In 1997, the contemporary issue featured American Holly, while the traditional Christmas stamp reproduced Madonna and Child with Saints and Angels by Sano di Pietro. The American Holly stamp was issued in panes of 20 and booklets of 15 and 30, all using the same botanical artwork. The design continued the Postal Service’s long tradition of featuring familiar Christmas plants and decorations on contemporary holiday postage.