The main 2018 USPS Christmas Forever releases were Sparkling Holidays and Madonna and Child by Bachiacca. Sparkling Holidays used four close-up Santa paintings in booklets of 20, while Madonna and Child used one Renaissance painting in a pane of 20.
2018 Christmas stamp comparison
| Issue | Release date | Designs | Original format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madonna and Child by Bachiacca | Oct. 3, 2018 | One traditional religious image | Pane of 20 |
| Sparkling Holidays | Oct. 11, 2018 | Four Santa portraits by Haddon Sundblom | Booklet of 20; separate souvenir sheet also issued |
Sparkling Holidays
The four booklet designs show close views of Santa from paintings originally used in mid-20th-century advertising. USPS also issued a souvenir sheet with a larger scene. When comparing a listing, check whether it is the booklet format, an individual design or the distinct souvenir sheet.
View the currently listed Sparkling Holidays product.
Madonna and Child by Bachiacca
This traditional Christmas issue reproduces a detail from an early-16th-century painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection. It is a different issue from earlier and later Madonna and Child stamps, so use the year and artwork for identification.
Other holiday stamps seen in 2018
USPS holiday communications also featured Global Poinsettia, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, plus reissues from earlier years. Those belong to different holiday traditions or postage categories and should not be mislabeled as the two 2018 Christmas Forever releases.
Sources and verification
USPS documents the season in its 2018 holiday announcement, the Sparkling Holidays dedication and the Madonna and Child dedication.
Browse more vintage Christmas Forever stamps.