Three Wise Men stamp attracts hundreds to Bethlehem Post Office

BETHLEHEM, Md. – If you’re looking to send friends and family a holiday postcard they won’t soon forget, look no further than the post office in Bethlehem, Maryland.

For over 80 years now, people from all over the region have been sending out Christmas cards from this post office, and it’s all because the post office offers something very special to their customers.

Mary Ann Bradshaw from Georgetown said, “We’ve been coming here a long time, like thirty years.”

Barbara Street from Denton said, “Fifty five and a half years.”

James Ruark from Salisbury said, “About 30, 35 years.”

The main reason why people go to the post office during the holiday season is for stamps that depict the Three Wise Men following the Christmas Star to get to Bethlehem.

When people send their Christmas cards out from the Bethlehem Post Office with these stamps, we’re told they often get some entertaining responses.

Ruark said, “They say, ‘Did you go to Bethlehem?’ And I say ‘Yeah, Bethlehem, Maryland.'”

Bradshaw said, “People are impressed. They want to know where Bethlehem, Maryland is.”

It’s those responses that keep people from both near and far coming back to this post office each year for more…and it seems each year, more and more people are getting involved in this unique holiday tradition.

Donna Shay who lives in Denton said, “[It’s a] new tradition for us beginning this year.”

That means more and more people are being exposed to one of Maryland’s greatest little treasures.

Bradshaw said, “I tell them it’s just a little town, there’s no lights or anything, you just drive through and there’s a little post office there that lets people come and stamp their cards.”

The Bethlehem Post office is open Monday through Friday from 12:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday.