In 2016, to celebrate the festive season, Isle of Man Post Office issued an extremely colourful set of six Christmas stamps.
The attractive designs give clues to the famous stories depicted on the stamps and pay tribute to one of the great Christmas traditions in the United Kingdom – pantomime, and recall some of the famous shows which have delighted audiences young and old throughout the generations, from tiny village halls to glorious theatres.
The six stamps recall familiar shows which have been staged in the Isle of Man over the years. In order of value the stamps show The Wizard of Oz (the red shoe of Dorothy), Peter Pan (Captain Hook), Aladdin (the lamp), Snow White (the poisoned apple), Dick Whittington (stick with cloth sack) and Robin Hood (his feathered hat).
Pantomimes are a mix of fairy stories and folk tales, with audience participation being an important part of the performance, with lots of booing of the villain and cheering for the hero. Across the British Isles each winter professional and amateur performers take to the stage to keep the pantomime tradition alive. It has become as much a part of Christmas as the tree and turkey, and is embraced across the Isle of Man as communities come together to produce their shows.
