Faroe Islands Post issued the second of Christmas carol stamp series to celebrate the Christmas 2011 on September 28,2011. The issue consist of two stamps , which have designed by Anker Eli Petersen, feature the Christmas song by Wexelsens and Smith Clementsens.
Wexelsens childlike joy over the message of Christmas and the little Christ child - or Smith Clementsens captivating tale about the girl who looks forward to getting a new dress and her travel in the mythical universe of Christmas. Both are classics and remind us to stay in the holiday’s purest form - Christmas seen through the hopeful eyes of a child.
The motif of the 6.50 stamp is based on the modern Faroese Christmas classic, "Eg eri so spent til jóla" – “I can’t wait for Christmas to come.” The music was written by Jóhannus á Rógvu Joensen and lyrics by Ella Smith Clementsen.
This song became one of the most popular Christmas and children's songs ever on the Faroe Islands.
The song and the story is, briefly, about the six-year old Margreta who has problems with controlling her longing and expectations for Christmas.
In her restlessness she goes out for a walk and in Tórshavn’s old café, she meets a pixie-girl, who takes her out on adventures that only six year olds can experience.
The rest is history. The six-year Margreta who was looking forward to getting a new dress and went out on an adventure with the pixie girl, walked straight into the Faroese cultural consciousness and has stayed there ever since. A small figure with great symbolic importance for the modern view of Christmas.
I Rejoice every Christmas Eve
It's hard to imagine a Christmas without the warm singing of childlike faith, and the beautiful picture of mother who walks around in the house and lighten all candles. For life, for family, her own child and the Infant Jesus.
The 10.50 KR stamp is based on the story "Kjetil - A little Christmas present for the child", and song "Jeg er saa glad hver julekveld".
On Christmas Eve 1858, 26 year old Marie Wexelsen (1832-1911) sat in the parents' kitchen in Sukkestad, Norway, waiting for the Christmas guests to arrive.
As she sat there and looked out the window, she came to think of her childhood Christmas, and began in her mind to formulate a Christmas song.
Marie Wexelsen had completed a short story "Kjetil - A little Christmas present for the child", and the poem she puzzled with, should be the introduction to the story.The story of Kjetil was published in 1859 and subsequently in several new editions.
The poem in the introduction of this story became one of the greatest Nordic Christmas classics, namely the song "Jeg er saa glad hver julekveld". The song has been translated into all Nordic languages and also to Faroese titled "Eg gleðist so hvørt jólakvøld" by Dean Jákup Dahl.
When Marie Wexelsen died in Trondheim in 1911, children with lighted candles sang: "I rejoice every Christmas Eve" at her funeral.
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