Contemporary Christmas "Ornaments on Tree" Stamps (Christmas Bulbs, Christmas Tree, Holidays, Greetings) Unused USPS Postage 22c

Add nostalgic flair to your holiday letters with these vintage unused Contemporary Christmas "Ornaments on Tree" 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 22-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 postage stamp!

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: Ornaments on Tree
• Series: Contemporary Christmas
• Year Issued: 1987
• Face Value: 22-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Christmas Bulbs, Christmas Tree, Holidays, Greetings
• Color(s): Multicolored 
• Printing Method: Photogravure
• Scott Number: 2368
• Adhesion Type: Gummed
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

STAMP HISTORY: The 1987 22¢ “Ornaments on Tree” postage stamp was issued by the U.S. Postal Service on October 22, 1987, in Washington, D.C., as part of the "Contemporary Christmas" series. Designed to celebrate the warmth and beauty of holiday traditions, the stamp depicts a simple, cheerful close-up of Christmas ornaments hanging from the branches of a tree, symbolizing home, family, and the joy of shared celebration.

The stamp’s artwork was created by artist Patricia Zipprodt, an accomplished costume and set designer known for her vibrant sense of color and detail. Her design features shining red, gold, and blue glass ornaments nestled among the deep green needles of an evergreen tree, illuminated by soft highlights that evoke the glow of holiday lights.

The "Ornaments on Tree" issue reflected the Postal Service’s focus during the 1980s on clean, bright, universally appealing holiday imagery. The design emphasized family-centered and decorative traditions—symbols that could resonate across faiths and cultures. By choosing ornaments as its subject, the USPS celebrated the artistry and warmth of the holiday season in everyday domestic life, capturing the sense of togetherness that defines Christmas for many Americans.

The stamp proved extremely popular with the public for its approachable beauty and versatility. It appealed equally to those who celebrated Christmas in a religious sense and those who cherished it as a season of light, joy, and family connection. Today, the “Ornaments on Tree” stamp is remembered as a quintessential late-1980s holiday issue—bright, inclusive, and full of quiet nostalgia. It reflects a moment when U.S. stamp design emphasized simplicity, elegance, and shared celebration, offering a message of peace and warmth that continues to resonate with collectors and holiday mailers alike.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The “Ornaments on Tree” stamp reflects the sacred beauty of light, unity, and the quiet joy of creation. Though secular in subject, its image of shining ornaments nestled among evergreen branches captures the deeper essence of Christmas—the impulse to bring warmth, color, and radiance into the darkest season, transforming the ordinary into something holy through love and care.

Each ornament can be seen as a symbol of the soul illuminated by divine light—fragile yet reflective, individual yet part of a greater whole. Just as ornaments catch and reflect the glow of nearby lights, so too do our hearts reflect the divine spark when filled with love, gratitude, and generosity. Together on the evergreen tree, they form a constellation of brightness, representing the unity and shared joy that arise when people come together in celebration and kindness.

The “Ornaments on Tree” stamp carries quiet spiritual significance. It speaks to the holiness found in simple acts of beauty and togetherness, in the way we decorate not just trees but our lives with love. Its message is one of illumination—that each light, each ornament, each gesture of joy adds to a greater radiance, reflecting the eternal truth that even in the darkest season, the light of the spirit never fades.

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 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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