New Christmas 2021 stamps
Date of Issue : 12 November 2021
Slovakia
Christmas Mail to Baby Jesus is a unique project organised by the Slovak Post in collaboration with its partners and a major part of the most wonderful festivities of the year.
Austria
Date of issue : 12 November 2021
The rocking horse - the nostalgic toy as a motif for a commemorative Christmas stamp
This vintage stamp shows a drawing of a rocking horse, a Christmas ball and a gift. In red letters it wishes „Merry Christmas“.
The rocking horse stands as a symbol of toys that have lasted for generations. Already in ancient times, small horses on wheels were used for trailing or mounting. The current runners have been known since about the 17th century. It is believed that they were invented in the USA and came to Europe in the 19th century. Even then, the rocking horse was on many a wish list, but not all children could get one - that's why the rocking horse is also symbolic of unfulfilled dreams.
Traditionally, they are made of wood, but they are also available with plush fur - or not as a horse at all, but as a completely different animal. Even today, they are the ideal toy for children. Not only does a rocking horse stimulate the imagination, it also promotes motor development and trains the sense of balance. And even if it is not a present under the tree this year, the rocking horse will certainly find its way into Christmas rooms as a decorative tree ornament or as a gingerbread motif.
Netherlands
Date of Issue : 15 November 2021
The following winter scenes are depicted on the December stamps 2021 in the form of papercuts: A mole with candy cane and rucksack, 2 love-struck blue tits under a mistletoe, a fox with a fluttering scarf and envelope, a mouse in a red postal car, a badger decorating the Christmas tree with his scarf, 2 mice decorating a peacock, a squirrel pushing a sleigh with gifts and treats, a squirrel, hare, dog and owl by the skating pond, a hare with a bunch of Christmas roses, and a fallow deer decorated as a Christmas tree.
All the animals are depicted in a friendly winter landscape, a cosy animal forest with brightly coloured picture elements. Sometimes a larger scene can be seen, other times all the attention goes to one animal. There are three types of sky: light blue, bright blue and dark blue for the morning, afternoon and night respectively. Each December stamp tells its own story. Together, the ten December stamps form a whole because the animals are all, in one way or another, engaged in the theme of Christmas, winter or December.
Liechtenstein
Date of Issue : 15 November 2021
The traditional and popular Christmas stamps are presented in oriental style this year, which is reflected in the choice of colours and detailing in gold.
On the stamp "The Guiding Star" (face value: CHF 0.85), the star that pointed the way to Bethlehem for the Three Wise Men takes centre stage. "The Shepherd" (face value: CHF 1.00), symbolically represented by a sheep, refers to the shepherds who, after an angel proclaimed the birth of Jesus, also set out to see the Son of God lying in a manger.
The "Holy Spirit" (face value: CHF 1.50), who had come upon Mary as the Spirit of God and made her conceive her son nine months earlier, appears in the form of a dove like in the Bible. A candle flanked by a plant represents "The Gifts" (face value: CHF 2.00), which the Wise Men from the East offered to the Saviour.
New Zealand
Christmas 2021
Date of Issue : 3 November 2021
USA
The visit of St. Nicholas on Christmas Eve
Date of Issue : 10 October 2021
