Sunday, December 16, 2012

Sunday Stamps - Christmas

I had a hard time choosing which stamps to share this week. Then I thought, in honour of finally getting a tree to display my many collected ornaments, I would show these ornament stamps from 2010, designed by Michael Zavacky. It is hard to tell, but the international rated stamp shows pink ornaments, while the domestic stamp shows red (and I took dozens of photos in various light trying to get the right hue)  Missing is the US rated stamp which shows blue ornaments.
Glass blown ornaments were first made in Lauscha, Germany in 1847 and introduced to the US by FW Woolworth in the 1880s.


According to the Canada Post website, this 1981 issued stamp, designed by artist Anita Kunst, is the first in a series of Christmas Tree stamps honouring the 300th anniversary of the 'illuminated tree'. The other two stamps show a decorated tree typical of 1881 and 1981, neither of which I have.
In 1781 at Sorel, Quebec, Friederike von Riedesel and her husband Friedrich introduced the illuminated Christmas tree to Canada. The illuminated tree "brought by German people to Canada, symbolizes mankind's eternal hope for peace..." In 1776 he landed in Canada in charge of a sizeable contingent of German troops sent to help put down the American Revolution. Although the Baroness had two small children and was expecting another, she decided to follow her husband to Canada, arriving in 1777. She came to be known affectionately as "Lady Fritz" in North America. After a rough few years the family were settled in Quebec. To celebrate Christmas, Friederike Riedesel had the idea of putting up an illuminated Christmas tree, a spectacle which astounded her guests.
see more Christmas themed stamps from around the world here

13 comments:

  1. The decorations in the stamp on the right are just like those hanging on our tree. I think they are old enough to have been bought in 1981.The story of the origin of the illuminated tree in Canada is one to remember.

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  2. I had no idea the Germans came to help us out. Thanks guys.

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  3. It were the early Germanic tribes that honored the evergreen pine tree because it was the only one that stayed green throughout the winter. Like many "heathen" custom, it was adopted by the Christians as was the date of the birth of their "savior" Christ.

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  4. i miss putting up my Christmas tree and having all those glassy and plastic decorations on it...but with two cats....it is unfortunately not very convenient :)

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  5. I have some really nice glass ornaments, but I haven't put any glass ornaments on my tree since I got cats. I have been using fabric ornaments, but this year I am worried about one of my cats that has been chewing all sorts of things lately.

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  6. I love the older glass ornaments, and older ornaments of all sorts. Thank you for sharing these stamps.

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  7. I had no idea illuminated trees went back so far. Like others, I have a cat and he sees ornaments as personal playthings.

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  8. Decorating the tree is special every year. There usually is a story behind every ornament!

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  9. Yes, now that I do not have a cat around, I decided it was time to hang the ornaments.

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  10. Oh what beautiful stamps...love the reddish ornies...!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  11. Love that Lady Fritz story, and the stamp that commemorates it, I can imagine her guests being astounded, while planning to do the same next year.

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