It’s that time of year again and on behalf of all the staff at PostBeeld here in The Netherlands I would like to sincerely thank you for visiting these pages and to all clients of PostBeeld I wish you a very happy Christmas. Each year we feature a small selection of stamps issued by countries that celebrate Christmas and as usual there are many to interest the thematic collector.
One of the most successful and widely-known characters in children’s literature, Thomas the Tank Engine is universally-recognised and much-loved by readers of all ages. This stamp sheet from the Isle of Man shows various train characters created by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry (born 1911, died 1997).
Belgium go with a Christmas tree decoration theme this year.
From Great Britain twenty Christmas 2021 stamps set against a beautifully illustrated backdrop of four angels.
Sweden’s excellent 10-stamp sheet offering is entitled “The Garden Gnomes Christmas”.
The illustrations on the Dutch 2021 Xmas stamps are papercuts, specially made for this issue by paper-cutting artist Geertje Aalders. For this year’s December stamps she devised an imaginative world, full of stories in which all kind of things happen. In the 10 different scenes a variety of animals are seen enjoying the festive month.
This commemorative miniature sheet features an illustration by Jersey illustrator Nanette Regan. The image depicts a parent and child enjoying the iconic Christmas story in bed on Christmas eve. Bearing the Jersey NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) logo, this issue supports the NSPCC’s local efforts this Christmas.
Gilbraltar has produced six colourful Santa Claus illustrations. The stamps were designed by Gibraltarian graphics artist Stephen Perera and printed on high-quality special easy peel self-adhesive paper.
The stamps above issued this year by Canada depict portraits of three classic festive season characters.
Adam Piekarski, a homeless man from Lódz, Poland, never imagined that the sketches he would draw in his free time while waiting for the public showers near Bernini’s Colonnade in Rome would lead to the opportunity of a lifetime. Piekarski left Poland in 2015 and, like many migrants, made his way to Rome seeking a better life.
Redemptorist Father Leszek Pys, known by many as Father Ruben and a fellow Pole, was among the first to realise Piekarski’s talent. He was introduced to Piekarski, who would often spend his time sketching while waiting for his turn at the showers.
Father Ruben then provided Piekarski with paints and brushes and found a workspace in the crypt of the Church of Santa Maria in Monterone, where the burgeoning artist honed his artistic abilities and created the images used by the Vatican Philatelic and Numismatic Office for the Christmas stamps.
This year’s two Christmas stamps from Greenland were created by the artist Maria Bach Kreutzmann who lives in the island’s capital, Nuuk.
“Happy New Year!” and “Merry Christmas!”.
We end today with this from Belarus. “Happy New Year!” and “Merry Christmas!” stamp sheet, designed by Marina Vitkovskaya.
