Christmas Seal
Christmas Seals are adhesive labels placed on envelopes during the Christmas season to raise funds and awareness for tuberculosis programs.
In 1904, Einar Holbøll, a Danish postal clerk developed the idea of a seal on envelopes during Christmas to raise money for combating tuberculosis. The plan was approved by the Postmaster and the King of Denmark, and the first seal bore the likeness of the Queen and the word Julen (Christmas). Over 4 million were sold in the first year.
They were introduced to the United States by Emily Bissell in 1907, after she had read about the program in an article by Danish-born Jacob Riis, a muckraking journalist and photographer. Bissell hoped to raise money for a sanitarium on the Brandywine River in Delaware.
It grew to a national program in 1908 by the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis (NASPT) and the American National Red Cross. The seals were sold at post offices, initially in Delaware at 1 cent each. Net proceeds from the sales would be divided equally between the two organizations. By 1920, the Red Cross withdrew from the arrangement and sales were conducted exclusively by the NASPT, then known as the National Tuberculosis Association (NTA). To reflect the expanding scope of the organization's goals, the name was changed to the National Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease Association in the late 1960's. The NTRDA became the American Lung Association in 1973, though the 1974 seals continue to show the NTRDA inscription on the sheet margin.
Today the Christmas Seals benefit the American Lung Association and other lung related issues. Tuberculosis was declining, but recently has been on the rise. TB is still the most common major infectious disease in the world.
Christmas Seal Yearly Theme Songs with designated Artists
- 1950
- 1951
- 1952
- 1954 "The Spirit of Christmas" - Kitty Kallen
- 1955 "I Heard The Angels Singing" - Frankie Laine & The Four Lads
- 1956 "He'll Be Comin' Down The Chimney" - Rosemary Clooney & Her Sister Gale
- 1957 "If I Can Help Somebody" - George Beverly Shea
- 1958
- 1959 "I May Never Pass This Way Again" - Perry Como
- 1960 "Mistletoe And Holly" - Frank Sinatra
- 1961
- 1962
- 1963
- 1964
- 1965 "This Christmas I Spend With You" - Robert Goulet
- 1966
- 1967 "Christmas Is..." - Percy Faith (also 1977 Theme)
- 1968 "It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year" - Andy Williams (also 1976 Theme)
- 1969 "Give Me Your Love For Christmas" - Johnny Mathis
- 1970 "My Favorite Things" - Tony Bennett
- 1971 "Ding-A-Ling The Christmas Bell" - Lynn Anderson
- 1972 "Frosty The Snowman" - Lynn Anderson
- 1973 "White Christmas" - Tammy Wynette
- 1974 "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" - Vikki Carr
- 1975
- 1976 "It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year" - Andy Williams (also 1968 Theme)
- 1977 "Christmas Is..." - Johnny Mathis (also 1967 Theme)
- 1978 "The Christmas Song" - Engelbert Humperdinck
- 1979
- 1980
See also
- Easter Seals - a similar program aimed at disabilities.
External links
- American Lung Association
- www.christmasseals.org - click on scrolling links at top
- History of Christmas Seals
- Canadian Lung Association Christmas Seals history
- Gallery of stamps since 1927
- Christmas Seal and Charity Stamp Society
- John Denune, The Christmas Seal Specialist commercial site with some pictures of old stamps and lots of information
- Betsy & Chuck - Christmas Seal Information commercial site with picture of first 1904 Christmas Seal Denmark
- William J Kozersky Stamp Company commercial site with pictures of Christmas Seals by year, and much information