Isle of Man Post Office has unveiled its Christmas stamps for 2019.

This year, the Post Office has teamed up with Geoff Sanderson from the Greeting Card Association to celebrates its centenary.

The stamps, done in the style of green cards, range from religious scenes to ones depicting Santa Claus and the island.

Mr Sanderson said: ’I was honoured to be asked to curate the cards used in this very special collection of stamps on behalf of the GCA.

’The designs chosen evoke the spirit of the season, whilst featuring beautiful artwork from some of our leading artists and illustrators - showcasing the work of the publishers that the GCA supports.’

After training as an illustrator, Mr Sanderson began a career as a greeting card designer; a career as a creative director in the greeting card industry followed. This is his 30th Christmas in the industry.

He added: ’Christmas is a special as well as a sacred time for many, and the Christmas card is a good and tangible way of keeping in touch as well as sharing the joy, and means much more than ubiquitous social media messages which are sent all the time.’

In the UK, over 1.9 million cards are sent each Christmas and the tradition has seen a revival with more 18-34 year olds sending cards than the generation that preceded them.

Maxine Cannon, general manager, Isle of Man Stamps and Coins said: ’We are pleased to present this joyful delivery of ten beautiful and diverse greeting cards as our festive stamp set for Christmas.

’We are delighted to have been able to collaborate with the GCA and industry-leader Geoff Sanderson to mark the occasion and showcase the range of the membership’s work.’