Christmas seal facts for kids
Christmas seals are special stickers you can put on your mail, especially during the Christmas season. They are not regular Christmas stamps used for postage. Instead, they are sold to raise money and spread awareness for important charitable programs. These seals have become very well known for helping fight lung diseases like tuberculosis (often called TB) and supporting children's health.
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How Christmas Seals Started
At the beginning of the 1900s, tuberculosis was a very scary disease. It especially harmed children.
In 1904, a postal worker in Denmark named Einar Holbøll had a great idea. He thought of adding an extra, special sticker to holiday mail during Christmas. The money from selling these stickers could help children who were sick with tuberculosis. The King of Denmark, Christian IX, and the Postmaster liked his plan.
So, in 1904, the world's very first Christmas seal was created. It showed the Danish Queen, Louise of Hesse-Kassel, and the word Julen (which means Christmas). They sold over 4 million seals in the first year! Each seal cost just 0.02 DKK.
In just six years, enough money was raised to build the Christmas Seal Sanatorium in Kolding. This was a special hospital for people with tuberculosis. It opened in 1911.
Later, the Danish Christmas Seal Committee decided to use all future money to build and run homes where sick children could recover.
Christmas Seals Around the World
After Denmark, countries like Sweden and Iceland started their own Christmas seals. Soon, they spread across Scandinavia and many other countries in Europe. They are still popular today!
Hundreds of groups around the world have issued Christmas seals. These include national and local organizations in Asia, Africa, North and South America, and Australia. Most tuberculosis seals issued at Christmas time include the double-barred Cross of Lorraine. This is an international symbol for fighting TB.
In the United States
Christmas seals came to the United States in 1907. A woman named Emily Bissell learned about the Danish seals from an article by Jacob Riis, a Danish-born journalist. Bissell wanted to raise money for a special hospital (a sanitarium) in Delaware.
By 1908, Bissell's idea grew into a national program. The seals were sold in post offices, starting in Delaware. The money helped fight tuberculosis. Over time, the organization that sold the seals became the American Lung Association.
After World War II, new medicines like streptomycin made TB curable. This was a huge step forward! Today, Christmas seals still help the American Lung Association and support other lung-related health issues. Even though TB declined, it has recently been on the rise again. It is still one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide.
In 1987, the American Lung Association got a trademark for "Christmas Seals." This helps protect their right to be the main group in the US that issues these seals for fundraising.
In Canada
By 1908, the Christmas seal campaign also reached Canada. People in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, started campaigns to build and support sanatoria (TB hospitals).
Newspapers like the Toronto Globe helped a lot. They ran daily stories about the campaign. One story shared how children from 58 Toronto schools sold 10,000 Christmas seals!
The first year, the Toronto campaign raised over $6,000, and Hamilton raised over $1,200. Year after year, more cities across Canada joined. They raised money and made people aware that tuberculosis could be controlled.
In 1927, it was decided that the Christmas seal campaign would be the official way for tuberculosis groups to ask the public for funds. A national seal was created for all of Canada.
Christmas seal campaigns have been very important for public health. At first, the money built much-needed sanatoria. Later, funds were used for TB prevention. The seals paid for millions of Canadians to get chest X-rays or tuberculin tests. This helped find thousands of TB cases early, stopping the disease from spreading.
The Canadian Lung Association's Christmas seals still represent the strong support Canadians gave to help win the fight against TB.
Other Countries
There are almost one hundred different lung associations around the world that issue Christmas seals. Many countries, cities, states, and territories create their own seals.
Many groups that issue tuberculosis seals are part of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. They even hold a Christmas seal contest each year for the best design!
See also
- MV Christmas Seal
- The Christmas Seal & Charity Stamp Society
- Easter Seals A charity that helps children with disabilities.
- Easter seals (philately) Easter seals in stamp collecting.
