The Holy Family (Christmas 2012 - Malta)

 

On 31st October 2012, Malta Post issued the Christmas 2012 stamp set which consists of three stamps depicting Old Master paintings representing The Holy Family. The stamps have a face value of 0.20, 0.37 and 0.63 reproducing those painting.

The 0.20 stamp present “The Adoration of the Magi”  by a German follower of Peter Paul Rubens.

The 0.37 stamp present   “The Holy Family”  by the Circle of Denys Calvaert (Antwerp 1540 - Bologna 1619)

The Holy Family is a Christian term for Jesus, the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. Veneration of the Holy Family was formally begun in the 17th century by Blessed François de Laval, the first bishop of New France, who founded a Confraternity.

Christmas Stamps 2012 of Iceland

Christmas Season is coming soon. The Iceland Post  issued a set of two postage stamps which have designed by Kristín Ragna Gunnarsdóttir to participation this season on the first of November 2012.

The motifs for the 2012 Christmas stamps are based on the story of the Night Troll which is included in the Jón Árnason collection of Icelandic folk tales. The story as told by an old woman from Rangárþing was recorded in the 19th century. According to the story, persons who were responsible for looking after a certain farm in Iceland on Christmas night were either found dead or gone insane.

 

 

Once a peasant girl offered to stay at home on Christmas night. She sat in the communal sleeping room of the farmhouse singing to the child she was holding. That night a troll came to the window and started reciting verses in praise of the girl’s beauty. She answered immediately, reciting her own verses in return.

At sunrise the troll disappeared from the window. The same morning a large rock was found in the farmyard, and it has been there ever since. The girl recounted the happenings of the night and it became clear that a night troll had appeared at the window and turned to stone at the dawn of day.

Christmas 2012 of Greenland

 

To celebrate Christmas Season 2012, Greenland Post  issued a set of two postage stamps feature the Inuit girls came to life in Copenhagen on October 22, 2012.

On the Christmas stamps, the Inuit girls  are no dresses. Christmas is a time for tradition. There are something simpler and been Christmassy with colours, which contrasts with the white background or snow if you wish.

On one of the stamps the two friends stroll along. They walk arm in arm. The pearl necklaces intertwine and lead up to a Christmas tree. Below, the girls red kamiks reveal themselves.

On the other Christmas stamp shown picture get a closer look at the bauble on the Christmas tree with happy waving Inuit girls. 

Like in the Christmas greetings, Greenlandic flags hang and decorate both stamps, so no one can doubt from where the Christmas greeting comes.

 The stamp series  have designed by Maria Panínguak` Kjærulff. This  information have been summarized from source of Greenland Post  News.

Alderney Christmas Carol

 
 

Joyful songs or 'carols' are an integral part of many Christmas celebrations. On the first of November 2010, Alderney Post  for the first time issued a very special the  Christmas stamps  series with the theme of  'Christmas Carols'.

The  Alderney Christmas issue features a selection of seven carols on each stamp and have designed by Two desgrees North.

 
 
Adorning the 31p stamp is a beautiful bright green Christmas tree. 'O Christmas Tree' originally named 'O Tannenbaum' is a German carol paying tribute to the beauty of the fir tree.

 
 

A light emanating from the stable in which Christ was born is depicted on the 36p stamp illustrating the carol 'Away in a Manger.' This song was first published within a Lutheran Sunday school book in 1885; the music however was composed by William J. Kirkpatrick a decade later.

 

 

 

A humorous interpretation of the carol entitled 'While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night' is shown on our 45p stamp. Interestingly until 1782, this was the only Christmas carol officially sanctioned by the Church of England.

 

Santa Claus of Gibraltar 2012

Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas or Santa, is a figure with legendary, mythical, historical and folkloric origins who, in many western cultures, is said to bring gifts to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of Christmas Eve, December 24.

In related with  the celebration of Christmas Noel, Gibraltar Post issued the stamp series features Santa Claus on November 02, 2012. The issue comprise of five stamps and have designed by Stephen Perera.

 

Santa Claus is generally depicted as a portly, joyous, white-bearded man wearing a red coat with white collar and cuffs, white-cuffed red trousers, and black leather belt and boots (images of him rarely have a beard with no moustache).

This image became popular in the United States and Canada in the 19th century due to the significant influence of Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas” and of caricaturist and political cartoonist Thomas Nast.
 

 
The modern figure was derived from the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas,which, in turn, may have part of its basis in hagiographical tales concerning the historical figure of gift giver Saint Nicholas.





The North American traditions associated with Santa Claus are derived from a number of Christmas traditions from various countries. Some rituals, such as setting out stockings to be filled with gifts, are age-old traditions while others, such as NORAD's tracking of Santa's sleigh through the night skies on Christmas Eve, are modern inventions.