Worldwide Christmas Stamps, 2011

Israel has never issued Christmas Stamps as such but due to the Christian visitors, since 1992 a Postage Label [ATM] has been offered in sets of 8 values.
Until 2004 these lables were printed on a German Klussendorf vending Machine and some earlier issues and varieties are scarce.
An Israel 'Doarmat' machine has been used since, still in sets of 8 values.
This is Doarmat[DM] #37.
Designed by Habib Khoury and printed in Letterpress, it shows a Festive Christmas Tree next to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth.
I have no information about the number of machines dispensing these or the locations.




Merry Christmas from the Holy Land.


Tinselbus1.....

Very nice label LB. I'm pleasantly surprised to see that
things are still being printed via letterpress/typography.

I have always liked the look of that process.

Me too. I like the look of the label with the Church in gold and the clear crisp printing. One of the better Christmas Labels.
I visited this Church on Christmas Day some years ago, it is magnificent and Nazareth very festive, being a Christian town.

Londonbus1

Since no one has shown the Canadian 2011 Christmas stamps
I might as well flaunt them.

They are very good designs even though the stained glass and
angel theme has been used before.
Excellent printing job by Lowe-Martin who I believe is
one of the best worldwide printers out there right now.

I bought booklets of the domestic P(ermanent) stamps and $1.75 International.

Since I only send a couple of cards to the US, I franked them with a P stamp (59c) and an old 50c seashore from the seventies, overpaying the $1.03 US rate by 6c to help out Canada Post.

Never mind that 50c was worth a lot more back in 1972 than now,more clear profit for CP.

Anyway here are the stamps minus the US rate.

The religious theme is popular this year it seems.
Here is one from Germany, a Semi-Postal. Deutsche Post have issued a number of other items including a very attractive Self-Adhesive Booklet.



Londonbus1

I will post a little bit later some photos of Christmas stamps that I've already purchased from the different postal administrations this year.

And here we go. Photos from the sites (feel free to add scans if you have them). Most of the postal administration photos are good enough to get an idea. Some real eye catchers out there:

Brazil - Christmas Decorations (6 different colors):


Denmark - Winter Tales and People:


Faroe Islands - Christmas Carolers:


Sweden - Christmas Flowers:


Norway - Children:

Iceland - Embroideries:


Finland - Cuddly Christmas:


Finland - Swinging Christmas:


Finland - House Roofs in Winter:


Aland:


Netherlands - different themes:


More to come later.

Austria:


Switzerland - Sceneries:


Australia:


Christmas Island:


Isle of Man - Birds of Winter:

Wonderful stamps everyone and great thread Mr Bus.

Thanks for sharing.

Dianne

I agree with Dianne, great Christmas stamps, thanks everyone.

Andrew, are the Netherlands items Postage stamps or Seals ? They look like seals.

They are lovely whatever they are.

Londonbus1.....Royal Mail are you watching ?

London, they're all stamps. Netherlands tends to make very traditional cartoonish Christmas stamps which makes for some really nice stamps.
I liked Royal Mail's Wallace and Gromit stamps last year. Unfortunately they don't issue Secular stamps every year.

Im having an extended Xmas this year as the backlog of mail is cleared. Arrived today from UK with a cheery pictorial postmark of a snowman (or should that be snowperson). Posted December 16-arrived January 5

Santa arrived from China on a pre-paid card. postmarked 25-12-2011 arrived Jan 6.