New stamps on Christmas and New Year …

 

2012 - The Year of Dragon

Korea

Date of Issue: 1 December 2011 

The year of 2012 is the year of the dragon.

Dragon is the creature of legends, the dragon is described to have an immense body of a snake, the horns of a deer, the ear of a cow, scaly skin, and four legs.Since ancient times, the dragon has been associated to greatness, thus symbolizing royal authority or the throne. Almost everything associated with kings was preceded by the prefix of “yong” (dragon) such as Yongan (king’s face), Gollyongpo (king’s ceremonial attire), Yongsang (the low wooden bench on which the King sat), etc.
The dragon has been positioned as an auspicious symbol in daily life: a dream of forthcoming conception that involves a dragon led to the expectation of the baby growing up to be a great man; farmers worshipped the dragon as the god of water that governs the success of their harvest; fishermen worshipped the dragon as the Dragon King that governs the sea.

New Christmas stamps

Italy

  

Date of Issue: 19 November 2011

The Italian Post has issued two stamps dedicated to the Holy Christmas 2011.

The first stamp reproduces the painting "Madonna and Child with Pomegranate" The second stamp on the secular subject is a typical Christmas snowy landscape with reindeer standing on the night sky.

Paintings on Christmas Stamps

The Christmas 2011 stamps feature some of the most notable artistic representations of The Nativity by world famous artists.

Slovakia

 

Date of Issue: 13 December 2011

Gibraltar

Date of Issue: 7 December 2011

Belarus

Date of Issue: 11 November 2011

Christmas stamp with unique design

Uruguay

The stamp illustrates Uruguayan version of Maria, gaucho (shepherd) and baby Jesus in Christmas crib, creations by Uruguayan artisan Maria Martinez. The figures are entirely handmade: they are made of pumpkin seeds, leather, wool, seeds of the country and other raw material in their natural forms.

New Stamp on Easter..

 

Date of Issue – 4 March 2011

On 4 March 2011, the Slovak Post issued a new stamp to commemorate Easter, the most important Christian festival. A beautiful Maxim Card in sparkling colors  was also issued.

Just like the blood of the Lamb of God saved the old Israelites in ancient Egypt from ten plagues of God, the death of Jesus Christ saved all Christians from eternal damnation. Therefore, the lamb became a symbol not only of Jesus Christ, but also of the Easter.

Old Slavs used to place painted eggs of clay to the dead into their graves. In Christianity, the egg is interpreted as a symbol of the closed grave from which Christ rose from the dead as a symbol of immortality. The folk tradition is connected with the custom of painting these eggs. The reason for eating eggs at Easter was probably the fact that it was not allowed to eat eggs in Lent. Similarly, the character of the Easter bunny, which now brings children chocolate eggs, has the archaic origin. In various cultures, the bunny is very often an attribute of immortality or resurrection, just like the motif of chick, which is hatched from the egg.

This year's issue of postage stamp dedicated to Easter displays the aforementioned symbolism in the form of traditional sweets typical for different regions of Slovakia. The stamp shows the Lamb of God - Agnus Dei with topping of whipped egg whites. FDC pictures the Easter chicks of egg whites with chocolate-butter cream decorated with marzipan, which also fall within the broader framework of folk art.

 

: Slovak Post

EUROPA 2009 - Astronomy - Stamp by Slovakia

EUROPA -2009 Astronomy

To be issued on 28 May 2009

This year's EUROPA theme is Astronomy. Here is a stamp to be issued by Slovakia in May on this theme. Another stamp on decorated eggs to be issued by Slovakia for Easter.

Date of Issue - 27 February 2009

Easter 2009 - Decorated Easter Eggs

Painted and decorated eggs are intrinsically associated with Easter. They symbolize spring and new life, for Christians they are associated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The symbolism of the egg dates to pagan times when it was associated with fertility and the cycle of life. This may be the reason why the tradition of putting eggs into a grave alongside the deceased existed in many ancient cultures. A similar custom in the Slavonic territory is documented as early as the 9th century when items put into graves in Kiev Russia included písanky – decorated eggs modelled from clay. Some medieval works of literature from the Slavonic territory even suggest that ancient Slavs believed in the origination of the world from a cosmic egg.

The custom of egg decoration connected with the celebration of spring in the greater Slavonic territory is still found. Hen, duck and goose eggs are most often used for decoration. Various egg-decorating techniques are used in different Slovak regions. The most traditional include waxing, tie-dying, etching, scraping, sticking with grass or straw, and the wiring of eggs.In addition to variously decorated eggs – kraslice – which served both as decoration and a present, the Easter celebration is also associated with the custom of cooking and eating eggs. Eggs as the symbol of life were thought to serve, especially in the past, as a source of life power and regeneration after an arduous winter.