Some Britons call for improvements in religious postage stamps for Christmas

As reported by Katie Morley and Phoebe Southworth of the London Daily Telegraph, December 15, 2018:

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The Royal Mail is facing calls to modernise the design of its religious Christmas stamps as they are being overtaken by secular ones for first time.

Around six in ten festive stamps bought by members of the public are now secular ones, up from around four in ten five years ago, according to the National Federation of Subpostmasters which supplies them to post offices around the UK.

Experts said Royal Mail's religious stamps tended to be more serious and less glamorous in their design than secular stamps, potentially contributing to their decline in popularity among letter senders hoping to garner festive cheer.

Tim Dieppe, head of public policy at Christian Concern, said: "There's much in the Christmas story that could be visual.

You've got the kings, the shepherds, the manger, the appearances of the angels. "There is much to be creative with in the Christmas story.

"I don't know whether it is because the artists for secular stamps are better and more creative than those designing the religious ones.

"It is disappointing. Perhaps secular stamps portray the Christmas story in a more glamorous way. Sometimes I think religious artists are trying to make it more serious - portrayals of Father Christmas happy and smiling are Mary holding a baby is less attractive."

Every year the Royal Mail designs a new set of stamps, alternating between religious and secular. Post Offices aim to supply both types of stamps to give customers a choice between the two.

The religious stamps on offer this year were designed in 2017 and feature images of the Madonna and Child. The secular ones were designed this year and feature families posting letters through bright red postboxes in the snow.

Meanwhile a number of customers have complained of a shortage of religious stamps at their local post offices and shops, suggesting too few may have been made available.

One frustrated consumer, eager to get his Christmas cards sent out, resorted to buying them online from Royal Mail, resulting in him paying £1.45 postage on postage stamps.

Another customer who said they were unable to buy religious stamps said: "Clearly the Royal Mail is determined to take Christ out of Christmas."

The Royal Mail denied any issues with supply and said it was up to shops and Post Offices to request more religious stamps if they had run out...