Add nostalgic flair to your holiday letters with these vintage unused "Christmas Tree and White House" postage stamps! This nostalgic holiday design is perfect for adding a touch of class to your holiday cards and letters or winter save-the-dates and weddings. In pristine mint condition and valid for current postage use, each stamp holds a face value of 5-cents. These USPS postage stamps are suitable for current mailing when used with the total required postage based on the weight of your correspondence. Embrace the charm of winter with this enchanting postage stamp!

Purchase includes a total of TWENTY (20) mint condition 5-cent "Christmas Tree and White House" vintage postage stamps shown in the product listing photos.

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: Christmas Tree and White House
• Series: Christmas Issue
• Year Issued: 1963
• Face Value: 5-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): National Christmas Tree, The White House, Capitol, Washington DC, Winter Christmas Scene, Holidays
• Color(s): Blue, White, Red, Multicolored
• Printing Method: Giori Press
• Scott Number: 1240
• Adhesion Type: Gummed (see adhesion instructions below)
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

MORE VINTAGE CHRISTMAS TREE STAMPS:

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"Needlepoint Christmas Tree" Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Unused USPS Postage 8c | Pack of 20

Holiday Knits “Christmas Tree” Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Vintage Unused USPS Postage 41c | Pack of 10

"Christmas Tree and Greetings" Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Unused USPS Postage 25c | Pack of 10

"Decorating the Tree" Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Unused USPS Postage 20c | Pack of 10

“Child with Tree” Postage Stamps | Santa and Children Set | Contemporary Christmas Series | Vintage Unused USPS Postage 32c | Pack of 10

GENUINE USPS POSTAGE: These unused vintage postage stamps are perfectly valid for use as current postage for mailing with USPS as long as you use an adequate amount of additional postage to achieve standard postage rates according to the weight of your mailing. Check current postage rates on the USPS website.

STAMP HISTORY: The 1963 5¢ “Christmas Tree and White House” postage stamp was issued by the U.S. Post Office Department on November 1, 1963, in Santa Claus, Indiana—a fittingly named town chosen for the first-day ceremony. It was the second U.S. Christmas stamp ever issued, following the wildly popular 1962 4¢ “Wreaths and Candles” stamp.

This 1963 issue was designed by R. H. Moyé of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and features a nighttime view of the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse near the White House, its lights glowing softly against a deep blue sky. The White House appears in the background, warmly illuminated, symbolizing both the seat of national leadership and the spirit of home and hearth. The color scheme—midnight blue, green, red, and white—was chosen to convey both reverence and festivity, marking a tonal shift from the bright cheer of the 1962 debut issue to something more dignified and serene.

In philatelic history, the 1963 issue is remembered for solidifying the annual U.S. Christmas stamp tradition. The enormous popularity of both the 1962 and 1963 issues demonstrated the public’s enthusiasm for holiday-themed postage, prompting the Post Office Department (and later the U.S. Postal Service) to issue Christmas stamps every year thereafter, eventually expanding to include both religious and secular designs. Today, the “Christmas Tree and White House” stamp stands as a classic of mid-century American stamp design—a serene and dignified image that captures the hope, light, and continuity of the Christmas season during one of the most solemn winters in U.S. history.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The “Christmas Tree and White House” postage stamp speaks to the enduring light of hope and unity in the midst of darkness—a message that carried profound meaning in its time and still resonates today. Though created simply as a holiday design, its imagery of the National Christmas Tree glowing softly before the White House became a quiet meditation on faith, peace, and collective strength—especially in the shadow of national tragedy following President Kennedy’s assassination just weeks after its release.

At its heart, the Christmas tree symbolizes divine light shining in the world’s winter—an evergreen reminder of life’s persistence through seasons of loss and renewal. Rooted in the earth yet reaching upward toward the heavens, the tree reflects the human spirit’s connection between the material and the spiritual, between home and eternity. Its lights—tiny stars scattered across the branches—represent individual acts of love and kindness that together illuminate even the darkest nights.

The White House, standing calmly in the background, adds another layer of meaning. Beyond its political symbolism, it represents the idea of home as sanctuary—a place where families, and by extension the nation itself, gather in shared hope and prayer. During the somber Christmas of 1963, that image of the lit tree before the people’s house came to embody resilience, unity, and the faith that light would return.

In a broader spiritual sense, the stamp reminds us that holiness can dwell in civic symbols and simple rituals alike. It captures a sacred pause—a still, wintry moment in which illumination, peace, and reflection converge. The evergreen and the White House together affirm that the divine spark persists not only in churches or scriptures, but in the human heart, in the continuity of community, and in the collective yearning for peace that Christmas represents.

GUMMED STAMPS: These postage stamps have a traditional moisture-activated gum on the back. These stamps require licking or wetting to adhere to envelopes or other surfaces. To ensure good adhesion, apply vintage gummed stamps to your mailings with a glue stick (we recommend using Elmer's "Re-Stick" glue sticks).

PROCESSING & SHIPPING: Orders are typically processed and shipped within 1-3 business days of placing your order. All orders are shipped from California — please allow additional time for transit.

QUESTIONS? We love hearing from our customers and replies to inquires are usually answered the same day. Need more of this stamp? Looking for a particular stamp not found on our website? Want a curated postage set for your special event? Contact us with questions about vintage postage stamps and our services…

VISIT MY MINTED STORE: https://www.minted.com/store/heritageposthouse

TELL YOUR STORY IN STAMPS: We’ve worked with hundreds of couples and their stationers to custom design highly stylized personalized postage sets based on our customer’s life stories. We can help you curate personalized vintage postage sets to commemorate your save-the-date, wedding, shower, announcement, and other special occasions in a truly unique fashion. Drawing on our encyclopedic knowledge of every stamp ever issued by the USPS, and sourcing from our extensive inventory of collectable unused vintage stamps, we’ll help you tell your unique story in stamps!

ABOUT HERITAGE POST HOUSE: Jennifer Kramer is the founder of Heritage Post House, a boutique vintage postage house located in Northern California. Jennifer sources the most beautiful unused vintage postage stamps ever issued by USPS and artfully arranges them into curated postage sets that are sure to add a special touch to your invitations, announcements, and special mailings. In addition to creating pre-arranged postage sets, Jennifer also works with couples (and their stationers) to create one-of-a-ki