USPS introduced three Christmas-specific domestic Forever stamp issues in 2016: the secular four-design Holiday Windows set and two traditional religious issues, Florentine Madonna and Child and Nativity. All were sold as double-sided booklets of 20 at the then-current 47-cent Forever rate.
2016 Christmas Forever stamps at a glance
| Issue | Theme | Issue date | Designs | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday Windows | Contemporary / secular | October 6, 2016 | Four | Booklet of 20 |
| Florentine Madonna and Child | Traditional / religious art | October 18, 2016 | One | Booklet of 20 |
| Nativity | Traditional / religious | November 3, 2016 | One | Booklet of 20 |
Holiday Windows
The four William Low illustrations show a candle, a snow-covered wreath, a hanging star and a lighted Christmas tree viewed through winter windows. Ethel Kessler designed and art-directed the issue. USPS item 681500 contained five of each design in a 20-stamp booklet.
Florentine Madonna and Child
This one-design issue reproduces a detail from a circa-1470 tempera-on-panel painting in the National Gallery of Art’s Widener Collection. The anonymous painter is identified as a follower of Fra Filippo Lippi and Pesellino. William J. Gicker directed the design. USPS item 681300 was issued in booklets of 20.
Date note: an early USPS announcement listed October 11, but USPS formally corrected the issue date to October 18, 2016.
Nativity
Nancy Stahl’s artwork silhouettes Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus against a dawn sky, with a lantern and bright star. Greg Breeding designed and art-directed the stamp. USPS item 681200 was issued as a one-design booklet of 20.
New in 2016 versus sold in 2016
USPS also offered earlier holiday designs during the 2016 season, including Christmas Magi and Holy Family. A stamp being available that year does not mean it was first issued in 2016. The table above focuses on the three new Christmas-specific domestic issues with 2016 first-day dates.
Can unused 2016 Christmas Forever stamps still be mailed?
Yes. Genuine unused examples remain valid for the current one-ounce domestic First-Class Mail letter rate. The original 47-cent price does not cap their current postage value. Additional or different postage may be needed for heavy, square, rigid, oversized or international mail.
Identification checks
- Holiday Windows has four designs; each religious issue has one.
- Each original booklet contains 20 stamps.
- Check unused versus canceled condition before treating a collectible as postage.
- Use the official issue name and first-day date to distinguish an actual 2016 issue from older stock sold that season.
Browse related designs in our Christmas Forever stamps collection.
Official sources
USPS documents the designs and formats in the Holiday Windows announcement, the Florentine Madonna and Child announcement, its corrected October 18 date, and the Nativity announcement.
Official issue information checked September 2, 2026.