Recent stamp issues

Christmas 2021

The Christmas stamps for 2021 focused on the essence of each Nativity character. With a contemporary design, colour-blocked gradients nod to stained-glass windows. Alongside simple forms, shapes and profiles in both the characters and the landscapes they occupy, the feeling of each character and the warmth and connection of Christmas are brought to life. Date of issue: 3 November 2021 Designer: Cam Price, NZ Post, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print, Dunedin Withdrawal date: 2 November 2023

2022 Year of the Tiger

The design of the 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps is inspired by Chinese nianhau posters. The style of the posters can be dated back to the woodblock printing method made popular during the Ming Dynasty. Typical subjects included immortal gods, mythical stories and rotund babies. By establishing a connection to this tradition, the stamps aim to help connect Chinese New Zealanders with the cultural practices of mainland China.

Date of issue: 1 December 2021 Designer: YMC Design, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print, Dunedin Withdrawal date: 30 November 2023

Historic Ships of the 19th Century

Much of New Zealand’s early history is interconnected with stories about encounters at sea. Trade and exchange, voyaging and migration, settlement and interactions between Māori and Pākehā centred on the ocean. All of the four stamps, featuring paintings created by Sean Garwood in 2021, depict important historic scenes.

Date of issue: 3 February 2022 Designer: Chris Jones, Graphetti, Wellington, New Zealand Artist: Sean Garwood, Nelson, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date: 2 February 2023

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Te Tira Pūoro o Aotearoa (NZSO) is a national taonga. Since its first performance in 1947, the NZSO has ignited a love of music in generations of New Zealanders. To celebrate the NZSO’s 75th anniversary, NZ Post produced a commemorative miniature sheet. Each of the two stamps features an instrument designed to resemble the number 75, and the miniature sheet features a photograph of the National Orchestra’s first-ever rehearsal. Contemporary conductor Gemma New is shown in action on the first day cover. Date of issue: 2 March 2022 Designer: Hannah Fortune, NZ Post, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: NZ Post Collectables, Whanganui, New Zealand Withdrawal date: 1 March 2023

Poppy Appeal 100 Years

The year 2022 marks 100 years of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association (RSA’s) Poppy Appeal in New Zealand. Every year on the Friday before Anzac Day, volunteers collect charitable donations in exchange for remembrance poppies. This stamp issue celebrates the poppy in its various forms, and everything it has meant to New Zealanders for the past 100 years. Although the remembrance poppy’s appearance has evolved through the years, the help the RSA Poppy Appeal affords service veterans today is as important as it was for veterans of World War One and the families who lost their loved ones. The act of buying and wearing a poppy is a powerful way to show support for veterans and to remember those who have passed on. Date of issue: 3 March 2022 Designer: Nicky Dyer, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date: 2 March 2023

Eid Mubarak

Represented by dozens of nationalities, languages, customs and traditions, the New Zealand Muslim community is spread through every statistical district in the country. The distinctly New Zealand twist on Eid al-Fitr (‘eed-al-Fit-er’) lies in the inclusion of these diverse communities into one broader culture, sharing the same prayer spaces for worship and fostering a collective sense of identity.

The Islamic calendar is predicated on the cycles of the Moon, so the exact date of Eid al-Fitr fluctuates throughout the Gregorian calendar. Muslims will greet each other on this date with the special salutation ‘Eid Mubarak’ (eed-mu-bar-ak), meaning ‘Eid blessings’. In New Zealand, most members of the Muslim community gather early in the morning for special congregational prayers, then return home to eat, with family and friends visiting throughout the day.

Date of issue: 6 April 2022 Designer: Chris Jones, Graphetti and Waqas and Sameera, MW Calligraphy Art, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date: 5 April 2023