The U.S. Postal Service released its first Christmas stamp in 1962. It was issued on November 1 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, beginning the annual tradition of U.S. Christmas postage stamps.
The 4-cent stamp featured a simple green wreath, two lighted candles, and the words “Christmas 1962.” Its design was intentionally secular, helping avoid objections that a government-issued stamp might promote one religious observance. Public demand ultimately encouraged the Post Office Department to issue it.
A technical detail often causes confusion: the stamp was issued by the United States Post Office Department, which was the USPS’s predecessor. The modern United States Postal Service officially began operating in 1971, but USPS historical materials commonly describe the 1962 issue as the first U.S. Christmas stamp.
This stamp should also not be confused with Christmas Seals, charitable labels sold in the United States since 1907 to raise money for tuberculosis-related work. Christmas Seals were not valid postage, while the 1962 issue was an official postage stamp.