Gibraltar Post issued Christmas stamps series celebrate the wonderful carols sung by the children before and during Christmas both at school and at home on November 11, 2008.
The tradition of Christmas carols hails back as far as the 19th century, although carols were originally communal songs sung during celebrations like harvest tide as well as Christmas. It was only later that carols began to be sung in church, and to be specifically associated with Christmas.
Carols suffered a decline in popularity after the Reformation in the countries where Protestant churches gained prominence but survived in rural communities until the revival of interest in carols in the 19th century.
The first appearance in print of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”, “The First Noel”, “I Saw Three Ships” and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” was in Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (1833) by William B. Sandys.
Composers like Arthur Sullivan helped to re-popularize the carol, and it is this period that gave rise to such favorites as “Good King Wenceslas” and “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”, a New England carol written by Edmund H. Sears and Richard S. Willis.
The issued stamps depict the interpretation of the lyrics of the kids’ favorite carols:
‘When Santa got stuck a chimney’ on the 10 p stamp depicting Santa unable to move as the chimney is too narrow for him.
‘Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer’ on the 42 p stamp depicting Rudolph, lead reindeer, pulling on Santa’s sleigh overlooked by the friendly stars.
‘Oh Christmas tree’ on the 44 p stamp featuring a child opening up presents under the tree.
‘Away in a manger’ on the 51 p stamp depicting Jesus in the manger and
‘Jingle Bells’ on the 59 p stamp depicting the one-horse open sleigh...hey!
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