Issue date: 05 Nov, 2019
CHRISTMAS. BUILDING THE NATIVITY SCENE. MERRY CHRISTMAS
Many people eagerly await the new Christmas stamp issues launched by Correos at this time of the year. It is the start of the period for Christmas greetings, of remembering distant loved-ones, or our nearest and dearest close by worthy of being remembered, or the long awaited letter to the Three Wise Men or Father Christmas.
Each year, the Christmas stamps decorate these greetings as they adorn the houses or shop windows of towns and cities.
This year, the religious Christmas stamp, starring the Nativity Scene, specifically by this time much awaited in many Spanish homes, where the family gathers to put together the Manger Scene.
From a Nativity Scene with the leading figures of the one known as "Mystery", to nativity scenes with more than a thousand figures and biblical scenes, this tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, more specifically to the 13th century. The origin of this representation, as we know it today, is owed to Saint Francis of Assisi; many sources that agree that it was the saint who started the tradition in Christmas 1223.
This stamp is also featured on a Premium Sheet dedicated to Star of Bethlehem, the protagonist of many of these crib scenes. A composition of these stamps form the star that according to tradition, served as a guide to the Three Wise Men from the East to reach the Infant Jesus.
Experts have tried for years to find an explanation to this celestial phenomenon. Some said that it was Halley's comet; others that it was a supernova, and the latest theories speak of the conjunction of the star Regulus and the planet Jupiter. Whatever the case, it is clear that in most Spanish homes, this star is the crowning glory of the Nativity Scene.
The other stamp dedicated to Christmas issued by Correos this year, features several iconic Christmas images, such as the turkey, decorative tree objects such as baubles and bells, presents, and the Christmas tree itself. In addition, accompanying these elements we can read Merry Christmas in the different official languages of our country.
Rate A - €0.75. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, up to 20 g.
Rate A2 - €0.85. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, between 20 g and 50 g.
Rate B - €1.65. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to Europe (including Greenland), up to 20 g.
Rate C - €1.75. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the rest of the world (except USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand), up to 20 g.
Rate D - €2.10. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, up to 20 g.