Hands On Stamps

The Slovenian Red Cross stamp of 1996 calls for solidarity and helping each other.

Santa is bringing lots of presents on Christmas Day (2003). Note Bosnian post logo.

The painting by the 18th century french artist Pierre Guillemin of Mary, Jesus and John is reproduced on the Maltese Christmas stamp of 2010. Mary's folded hands support Jesus firmly.

Have a Happy New Year celebration! Wonderfully different people having fun together. One stamp in a set of 12, 2015.

Keep your fingers crossed that it will be a good year 2017.

After celebrating, go for a winter walk (if you have a winter in January). Partner stamp to the New Years one above, 2015.

It's worth looking up Pope Francis' speech for Christmas 2016. Two of four San Marino stamps; The Pope is being greeted by several people at once.



Pope Francis: Christmas message "Urbi et Orbi": full text on Vatican Radio site.

Only a few days after Jesus' birth the Holy Family was forced to flee. On the way to Egypt, Mary and the Baby rest while an Angel plays them a lullaby. The detail from the painting by Caravaggio shows her one hand completely relaxed, the other still supporting the child. (Bonus: bare feet!)

Pope Francis greets the crowd of young folks at the World Youth Days in the summer of 2016, in Poland.

Portugal and Belgium issued identical souvenir sheets depicting several of Andreas Vesalius' most famous anatomical drawings, commemorating his 500th birthday in 2014. Vesalius was an anatomist and physician with exceptional artistic and teaching skills who traveled and lectured throughout Europe in the 16th century.




...............bones and muscles above, nerves and blood vessels below

Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) was honored by Belgium on a stamp in 1964, marking 400 years after his death. One of his anatomical specimens, considered to be the oldest of its kind in the world, can be seen in the Anatomical Museum at the University of Basel, Switzerland. (The stamp may already be on the engravers thread.)

The carpal tunnel is being exposed, a part of the hand that may cause problems because both tendons and nerves pass through a very narrow space between bones of the wrist.

The European Championship Handball Games took place a year ago in Poland (Germany took 1st place among 16 national teams). The game requires lots of speed and skill.

50 years of Rotary volunteer help in Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia), 2003. The country gained independence in 1964.

A short while ago I saw in the news that the "Greatest Show on Earth" is retiring, the elephants will be put out to pasture. I'll never forget my first ever visit to a circus all those years ago. Who could possibly put on a show of this magnitude in the future? Irish stamp for the Europa series of 2012 and US commemorative of 2014 featuring posters.

USSR 1982, drawing attention to the African National Congress, 70 years.