STAINED GLASS windows have their own transcendental beauty. Our churches and cathedrals house a rich legacy of stained glass and a distinctive contribution to that tradition was made in the present century by the artists of the Arts and Crafts Movement. The exceptional quality of their work, a marriage of impeccable craftsmanship and artistic vision, yielded 'a rich heritage for the world, set alight by the daily miracle of the dawn.' There could be no more fitting way of celebrating Christmas than by using characteristic details of their designs, from churches around the country, to illustrate the story of the Nativity.

Stamp acknowledgements. The first stamp shows the Angel Gabriel, part of the east window (1920) of St James's Church, Pangbourne, Berkshire, by Karl Parsons (1884-1934). The second stamp shows Mary and Jesus, from the north chancel window (1927) of St Mary's Church, Bibury, Gloucestershire, by Karl Parsons. The third and fifth stamps show respectively King with Crown and Two Kings with Gifts, both from the west window (c. 1926) of Our Lady and St Peter's Church, Leatherhead, Surrey, by Paul Woodroffe (1875-1954). The fourth stamp shows the Three Shepherds, from part of the five-light east window (1928) at All Saints' Church, Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan, by Karl Parsons.