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Snowy UK cathedrals to star on Christmas stamps

The 2024 Royal Mail Christmas stamps, each with a snowy scene of the cathedral in each city Image source, Royal Mail
Image caption,

Each stamp features a snowy scene of a UK cathedral: Edinburgh, Liverpool, Armagh, Bangor and Westminster

"Snow is falling, all around us" - well, not just yet... but these snowy stamp scenes might help you get in the Christmas spirit even if it is not snowing outside.

Five news stamps to celebrate Christmas 2024 have been released and are available from today - each with an exclusive illustration by a British artist, Judy Joel.

Each of the stamps features a snowy scene of a UK cathedral: Edinburgh, Liverpool, Armagh, Bangor and Westminster.

Find out more about the cathedrals included below!

Liverpool Cathedral

Image source, Royal Mail

Liverpool Cathedral is the biggest in Britain, and it's also the fifth largest in the world!

The cathedral is popular with tourists and as well as its size it has a lot of other records including the world's heaviest and highest ringing peal of bells.

Have you ever been to visit?

Edinburgh: St Giles Cathedral

Image source, Royal Mail

Traditionally a church becomes a cathedral when it contains the cathedra - a seat of the bishop.

Which means despite its name, St Giles isn't actually a cathedral.

In this church the services are run by a minister, however it has been a cathedral in the past - twice during the 17th century.

Despite this it has kept its name as St Giles Cathedral.

Armagh: St Patrick's Cathedral

Image source, Royal Mail

St Patrick's Cathedral sits high up in Armagh, Northern Ireland.

It stands on the hill from which the city derives its name – Ard Mhacha – the Height of Macha.

It is 1,579 years old and according to tradition is built on the same site as where Saint Patrick first built a stone church in 445AD.

The cathredal includes architectural styles from a mixture of different time periods as it has gone through many restorations.

Bangor Cathedral

Image source, Royal Mail

Bangor Cathedral has been part of Welsh history for almost a millennium and a half.

It has been the burial place of Welsh princes and it has been destroyed and rebuilt more than once.

The cathedral is dedicated to its founder in the 6th century, Saint Deiniol.

Westminster Cathedral

Image source, Royal Mail

Westminster Cathedral is the largest Roman Catholic church in England and Wales.

The construction of the building was finished in 1903, however, what many people don't know about the cathedral is that it is unfinished.

Don't worry, it isn't going to fall down - the cathedral is structurally finished, however the mosaics on the inside are still being completed to this day!