Let it Snow

With perfect timing a Christmas envelope arrived this week from Eeva with stamps that included these:

This was my first sight of  2014's Finnish Christmas stamps which are by the award winning book illustrator Kristina Segercrantz (graphic design by Olavi Hankimo) and show a snowy "Christmas Eve" with a little elf girl pulling her dog in the sledge, all lit by the glow of the reindeer's candle.  Then we have arrived at  "Christmas Morning" with the elf ringing out a joyful bell. No doubt the presents will be under the tree from 2012. 

Another book illustrator provided these happy gnomes delivering Christmas mail which appeared on the pre-stamped postcard Norway Post sent me wishing "God jul og godt nyt år!" (Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year).  No need to  squint at the stamp because the postcard portrays a larger image

They are all wearing fingerless gloves, so much easier for sorting the post; I love the one in the side-car disappearing amongst the envelopes and peering at the address.  The artist is Kjell Midthun who has created lots of postcards, especially of Norwegian gnomes.  There are more of his gnomes here

Lastly here is one of Liechtenstein's "Mountain Chapels at Christmas" stamps who were painted by Erich Beck.  I was trying to decide whether it was a door or a window in the end of the building, the stamp shows a window but the photo makes it look as though it might be a door (which is where it would be on an English church).  Then I found this chapel had been featured before on a Liechtenstein stamp in 1964 and the entrance is actually around other side. Those handy wooden railings no doubt being useful to hang on to in icy weather.  This is St Theodul's Chapel at Masescha high over the Rhein valley near Triesenberg. The earliest mention of the chapel being here is in documents of 1465 so how marvelous to imagine all the people who have walked along this path for thousands of years.

Time to put on the yule log on this shortest day of the year and may it burn bright for all of you. 

An entry to Sunday Stamps, this week being hosted for the first time by Viridian Sky's See it on a Postcard