New Christmas stamps

Date of Issue : 10 November 2017

This is Christmas time. Here are some most beautiful Christmas stamps from Slovenia and Iceland Post ! Rainbow Stamp Club wishes all its Readers  Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year !

Iceland

Date of Issue : 2 November 2017

Iceland Post issued a set of 3 stamps on Christmas.December is the time of hopeful expectation. As the first candle on the advent wreath is lit, the children’s anticipation increases until the bells ring in Christmas Eve. The stamps reflect the joy and peace that prevails during the holidays. Parents often experience the atmosphere and the joy of Christmas through their children. On all the stamps, children play the main role along with the Yule Lads, the Icelandic Santa Clauses. Around the middle of the 20th century according to Northern European custom, Santa Clauses started leaving gifts in children’s shoes. On the night when the first Yule Lad arrives, the children put their shoes on the window sill, sometimes waiting expectantly until they fall asleep as shown on the stamp.

It becomes ever more popular to choose one’s own Christmas tree out in nature. From a distance the Yule Lads observe the children who have chosen what they consider the most beautiful Christmas tree in the forest. The refrain of this stamp could be the word of the popular Christmas song: “Kindle a light on the fair tree, kindle a light in every heart.” While waiting for Christmas, playing games outdoors is great fun. It will be even more interesting if a Yule Lad joins you on the sledge as shown on the third stamp.

Source : Iceland Post

Christmas 2017 stamps from Luxembourg

Date of Issue : 5 December 2017

Here is a beautiful set of stamps from Luxembourg Post .The theme “Winter and Christmas” is ideally suited to the light, lovingly detailed style of the Japanese illustrator Kumiyo Maurel, whose drawings transport us to another world. She is particularly fond of telling stories that she not only writes herself, but also  illustrates.  There was a lot for her to discover while designing this year’s special edition of Christmas stamps.

 Christmas is traditionally a family celebration, while the Japanese observe “A Celebration of Love” with friends and colleagues, where Japanese singles hope to meet that special person with whom to spend the rest of their lives. 


Source : Luxembourg Post

Christmas stamps from Finland

Christmas Greetings

Date of Issue : 3 November 2017

Here is a beautiful set of stamps from Finnish Post for Christmas Greetings. The stamps are wonderful !

Christmas Eve

Snow Queen

Christmas 2017 stamps from Poland

Date of Issue : 16 November 2017

Polish Post issued a beautiful set of Christmas  stamps for this year with very colorful designs. The First Day cover with exquisite design is quite attractive. The stamp lovers and those collecting on Christmas theme would love to have this set in their collection.

New Pictorial Cancellations from Germany

Here are new stamps and postmarks from Germany. The stamps, stationery and the postmarks are featuring Common seal (Phoca vitulina ) and/or European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) will be available on January 2nd, 2018.
By Wolfgang Beyer, BDPh

Lights of Christmas

Date of Issue : 1 November 2017

Here is a beautiful set of Christmas stamps issued by Australia Post on 1st November 2017. There are two sets one Traditional and other secular themed set.Set of Maxi cards and Special Christmas  Coin and stamp covers have also been issued by Australia Post.

The two traditional designs from the Christmas 2017 stamp issue each feature a painting of the Madonna and Child projected onto the façade of St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney. Every Christmas since 2010, the cathedral has been host to the Lights of Christmas, a digital animated light and sound display that illuminates the church with themes of peace, joy and goodwill. This public event, by AGB Events, has proved very popular, and in 2016 attracted a crowd of around 300,000 people. The stamps were designed by Andrew Hogg Design.

The three secular-themed stamps were designed by Jo Muré of the Australia Post Design Studio. The bright and graphic imagery also presents the themes of joy and goodwill, via carefully wrapped gifts, cheerful chiming bells and a star-spangled Christmas tree.

Maxi Cards

Stamp Design Competition by India Post

Ready for Christmas ?

A Traditional Christmas

Date of Issue : 20 November 2017

 Here is a beautiful set of stamps issued by Jersey Post for this year's Christmas greetings. For many, Christmas is a time to reminisce. In this issue one can see, the days before computers and mobile phones, when families wore their Sunday best for Christmas dinner and festive patterned jumpers were worn in a non-ironic way.

Set in the 1950s and 1960s, these eight stamps have been designed to create a feeling of warm nostalgia with each stamp depicting a traditional festive activity.

With no computer games and less reliance on television for entertainment,  children spent many hours reading Christmas annuals and playing with a range of toys from die-cast model cars, dolls, hula-hoops, puzzles and games many of which are still family favourites today.

Christmas 2017 stamps from Christmas Islands

Date of Issue : 1 November 2017

Here is a beautiful set of stamps and a Miniature sheet issued by Christmas Islands for this year's Christmas..In recognition of Christmas Island’s name (selected by Captain William Mynors, as he sailed past the island on Christmas Day, 1643), Christmas Island Christmas stamps have been issued every year, since 1984. They are a light-hearted take on Christmas in the southern hemisphere.

The stamps

Illustrated by Shane McGowan, this year’s stamps and minisheet show Santa taking time out from delivering presents to practise his golf swing on the spectacular Christmas Island nine-hole golf course.

In the minisheet design, One see that the island’s famous red crabs are enjoying stealing some of Santa’s errant golf balls, which Santa’s elves are doing their best to rescue and fashion into a Christmas tree, to add some festive flair to the golf course. The island’s many seabirds are also enjoying the view.

$2 Santa

The international-Christmas-card-rate stamp features Santa teeing off.

65c Rudolf

The domestic Christmas-card-rate stamp features Rudolf, as Santa’s trusty golf caddy.

Sheetlet of 5 X$2

This sheetlet contains 5 x $2 self-adhesive International stamps from the Christmas Island Christmas 2017 stamp issue.

Source : Australian Postal Corporation

Christmas Cup Cakes...

Date of Issue : 9 November 2017

Cupcakes have become hugely popular over the years, once thought to just be a trend or phase, but now well established and respected in the cake world. The appeal of cupcakes is its versatility with the range of designs and flavours having limitless options which can stretch our imagination.

Novelty cupcakes have become a popular trend where all types of designs are being applied and are very popular for seasonal events, weddings, children’s parties and corporate events. Seasonal designs are particularly appealing and when it comes to Christmas, cake artists’ love pushing the boundaries and making unique, cute or funny designs.

The cupcakes featured on the stamps were specifically produced by a well known bakery based in Gibraltar - Piece of Cake

Piece of Cake CEO Sharon Garcia said;

"When designing these cupcakes we wanted to apply a local theme to a Christmas design. We had to create something unique to Gibraltar. Our Christmas tree had to be adapted to our Rock of Gibraltar. Our rock ape also had to feature a Christmas hat. The snowman reflects our national football team colours and emblem on his hat, symbolic of our new prominence in the football world. We also feature our beloved Pan Dulce-a cake typically enjoyed by Gibraltarians over Christmas.

This set of 6 Christmas cupcakes represents Gibraltar’s heritage, our love for the season and our particular love for all things sweet!”

Gibraltar Stamps

: Wolfgang Beyer, Germany

Christmas carols...

Date of Issue : 16 November 2017

Swiss Post will issue four special stamps for this Christmas featuring musical gems as Christmas motifs.The stamps are so beautiful and anyone would love to have them in collection.Here are four popular Christmas songs featured on these stamps as motifs. Swiss Post will also issue set of  four A6 double  cards with these motifs.

1."Snow falls softly at night" was written – and possibly also composed – by Protestant pastor Eduard Ebel (1839–1905). However, he may also have taken up an old folk tune. At any rate, he himself considered it a nursery rhyme.

2."Jingle Bells" was written in the mid-19th century by the American composer James Lord Pierpont. Although it’s not strictly a Christmas song, it is sung all over the world at Christmas.

3.The lyrics of "Silent Night" were originally taken from a Christmas poem written by assistant priest Joseph Mohr (1792–1848) from the Austrian village of Arnsdorf and Franz Xaver Gruber composed the hauntingly beautiful melody. Today the carol is sung in countless languages around world.

4.In the case of "We wish you a merry Christmas", the writer is lost in the mists of time. A traditional English carol dating back to the 16th century, it also looks beyond Christmas to the beginning of the New Year.