Magyar Posta is celebrating Christianity’s most important feast, Easter, by issuing a definitive stamp. This year, the self-adhesive stamp with no value indication bearing the inscription “Domestic” and the first day cover show compositions related to Easter designed by the graphic artist Krisztina Maros. The new stamp was produced by Codex Értékpapírnyomda Zrt. and will be available from Filaposta, philately specialist services, certain post offices and www.posta.hu from 11 March 2022.
Easter is Christianity’s principal feast, the most important celebration of the calendar centred on Christ. According to the New Testament, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, Sunday, after his crucifixion on Friday. By his death on the cross, he redeemed humankind of all their sins, and, by his resurrection, he triumphed over death. The Easter 2022 stamp and the accompanying first day cover and postmark feature a number of symbols that can be traced back to religious and folk traditions associated with Easter.
The lamb on the stamp is the most ancient symbol of Easter, representing Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of humankind. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ came to earth to save humankind: “Christ is our Lamb, who wassacrificed for us.”
The chick on the first day cover is also an Easter symbol. It symbolises life, which seemingly did not exist before – this refers to the resurrection of Jesus as well, in other words that there is life after death. The design on the special postmark shows a decorated egg. The egg, with the bird that hatches from it, also represents Christ rising from the grave, as well as being an ancient symbol of fertility. After winter, the laying of the first eggs coincided with Easter, which is probably the reason why people expressed their joy at the arrival of spring by painting and embroidering them.
