1972 Christmas

1972 Christmas

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		Cat.	Mint Unhinged	Fine Used
3c	'Virgin and Child' by Murillo	187a	$0.45	$0.45
5c	Stained glass window from St John's in Levin	187b	$0.45	$0.45
10c	Pōhutukawa Blossom - Christmas Tree	187c	$1.80	$1.80

	Set of 3	187d	$2.55	$2.55

	First Day Cover - 4 October 1972	187e		$4.50
	… Three Stamps : 3c (187a), 5c (187b), 10c (187c)

The 3 cent stamp features a reproduction of 'Virgin and Child' by the Spanish artist Bartolome Esteban Murillo.

The 5 cent stamp features a modern stained glass window from Saint John's Methodist Church in Levin, built in 1936.

The 10 cent stamp has the crimson flower of the Pōhutukawa tree. Pōhutukawa tree blossom is an established part of the New Zealand Christmas tradition. In 1833 Henry Williams described holding a service under a 'wide spreading Pohutukawa'. By 1867, settlers were calling the Pōhutukawa the Christmas tree: "The Pōhutukawa around Christmas are full of charming blossom and the settler decorates his church and dwellings with its lovely branches." Other settlers described it as 'Antipodean holly'.

Bibliography

The Postage Stamps of New Zealand Volume VI

Edited by D. E. G. Naish FRPSNZ and K. J. McNaught FRPSNZ FRPSL

Publsihed 1975 by The Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand Incorporated

Pages 215 - 216

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