Definitive Or Commemorative

I've read through this thread and there seem to be as many opinions as there ever has been on a given topic.

To me anyway, (and to borrow a slogan from the movie "Meatballs")..."It just doesn't matter". The bottom line is whether you categorize Christmas Stamps as definitives or commemoratives or annuals or whatever, "it just doesn't matter". Collect what you like enjoy it--if you consider them commmemoratives, and another stamp collector considers them definitives, what's the difference??--"it just doesn't matter".

Most stamp collectors will agree that modern-day US Christmas Stamps were issued in such quantities, and are so common, that they will never be scarce or rare, so if you enjoy collecting them then, as the Nike slogan would say: "Just do it."

Interesting point I hadn't considered.

"Commemoration" and its definition, is the villain in the piece here, maybe.
Can be "a call to rememberance" (as I see it in philately)
or it can be a "mark of an event" (christmas issues)

I blame the english language, it needs to steal another
descriptor to differentiate :)

This might help to lend further confusion to the topic.

I was on the USPS web site and their definition for the modern-day "Holiday" stamps goes like this:

Series: Definitive
2010 Angel with Lute

Series: Holiday
2010 Holiday Evergreens (Forever Stamps)
2009 Christmas Madonna
2009 Kwanzaa
2009 Hanukkah
2009 Eid
2009 Winter Holidays

Maybe the term "Holiday" is what we need to adopt for describing these issues.

We can't even get the USPO to what kind of stamp it is, of course there is confusion between them.

Whether they will or should be called "Holiday" or "Annual" is up for discussion, but there seems to be shown here that a third type of stamp order/catagory can be justified & welcomed.

I think Commemorative, older one are so much more colorful unfortunately the newer stamps just don't have the special thought as the older ones.

I think that may be a US centric term. It is not at all popular in UK.
What is it like in Canada or Australia?

Here in Canada, I rely on the Unitrade Catalogue for the "definitive" vs "commemorative" classification. The Canada Stamp Identifier contains a section at the end listing all the recent (1977 +) definitive. That listing does not includes Christmas and Celebrations which have become annual issues, but it does includes "Permanent"

The 2010 Angel with Lute stamp is technically not a Christmas stamp. It was not issued as such. The word "Christmas" does not appear on it. The USPS has already announced a 2011 Christmas issue. For the 2010 Christmas season, I think that I recall the USPS saying that the previous year's issue (2009) would be available for those wishing a "real" Christmas stamp.

I bought a sheetlet of the 2010 Angel with Lute and used them on my Christmas cards. Probably the recipients did not ever consider that they were not actual Christmas stamps. (Even though they looked like it)