Victorian-Style Stamps Of Santa To Go On Sale

The first of this year’s Christmas stamps will go on sale Saturday at the North Pole - North Pole, N.Y., that is.

The set of four stamps, featuring Victorian-style images of Santa Claus, are based on pictures popular a century ago.

Postmaster General Marvin Runyon hailed Santa as “that dapper fellow with the white hair and the smile who always makes his deliveries on time - the ultimate inspiration for postal employees.”

North Pole, N.Y., site of the first-day ceremonies for the stamps, is a substation of the Lake Placid post office. Every year the office postmarks thousands of pieces of holiday mail.