On 2 December 2024, the Italian Ministry of Business and Industry issued a stamp dedicated to the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, a Holy Place dedicated to Christians all over the world. The Christmas stamp is to be a tribute to the Christian holiday of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

Producing the stamp was possible thanks to the invaluable collaboration with the Custody of the Holy Land, which provided the original photograph of the Basilica,  from which the graphic design was made by Emanuela L’Abate.

The dimensions of the stamp are 40 x 48 millimetres, it is in the B price range (euro 1.25) but has been put on sale at the price of euro  5.00 because euro 3.75 will be donated to aid for refugees of the Middle Eastern conflict.

The Basilica of the Nativity, the heart of Christianity

The Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem is one of the most important places in the Christian tradition. For centuries, the Franciscan friars, together with the other Christian confessions, have looked after this Holy Place, offering pilgrims from all over the world the chance to pray and reflect on the mystery of the Incarnation. 

A tribute to Christmas

The stamp, with its evocative image of the Basilica of the Nativity, is a tribute to the birth of Jesus and an invitation to reflect on the profound meaning of this holiday. The decision to show the Basilica of the Nativity emphasizes the importance of this Place for Christianity and its universal  value.

Christmas in Bethlehem will be different from usual this year again. Due to the ongoing conflict, the Basilica of Bethlehem will not be crowded by the large number of pilgrims who used to arrive every year to take part in the traditional midnight vigil. Trusting in their return, this stamp can be an instrument to bring to the light the hope that every Christmas is born in Bethlehem.

The Door of Humility: become small to enter the place where Jesus was born

Special attention has been paid to showing the “Door of Humility", the main entrance to the Basilica. It is a small door that contrasts with the majestic grandeur of the Basilica. As Fra Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land, emphasized in the illustrative booklet produced to comment on the issue of the stamp: 

"The monumental door of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem was transformed in around 1500  into a door made up of square stones to prevent the holy place being profaned by people entering on horses or camels. This is why today the large basilica has the smallest entrance in the world.

The door, only 130 centimetres high, forces everyone –the small and the great of this world -  to bend over deeply to enter the place where Jesus Christ was born and this suggested the name of “Door of Humility.” 

Nothing prevents us from seeing in this at Christmas a sign of the lowering of the Son of God who came to share the life of men; a universal invitation of humility, source of reconciliation and peace for everyone;  a call to solidarity and sharing.

As St Francis himself suggested, combining with the amazement for the mystery of the Incarnation and that  of the Eucharist, “Brothers, look at the humility of God, and pour out your hearts before him; humble yourselves, that you may be exalted by Him. Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves, that he who gives Himself totally to you, may receive you totally” (Francis of Assisi, Letter to the Entire Order, vv. 28-29)."