Baby Jesus on stamps

2011's British stamps, reviewed in the December issue of Stamp & Coin Mart, feature Nativity scenes drawn by designer Peter Malone. The colourful stamps will be used by millions of Britons in the coming weeks, and no doubt some will comment on the image of the new-born baby, complete with hair and healthy chubby arms. Cynics may criticise the 1st class stamp image, but as Peter explains ‘the text, for such a momentous biblical event is a bit sparse, not a lot to work with.’ So who’s to say what the famous child should look like?

In 2011, images of Christ on stamps from the Faroe Islands and Poland are equally modern-looking, while four of the five Christmas stamps issued by New Zealand and Australia feature a more traditional image of the child.