In the Maltese Islands, the Christmas season is made up of various activities held in the lead-up to Christmas Day which, on 25th December, marks the birth of Jesus Christ. It is the time of the year when people come together to share joy, also by exchanging gifts and charitable expressions of solidarity.
Christmas is a worldwide festive celebration that is both religious and secular. During the festivities, flickering candles are placed on windowsills, wreaths hung on doors, houses decked with colourful decorations, pine trees glitter with fairy lights, carol singers visit homes and town squares, and young children eagerly await the arrival of Father Christmas.
This Christmas, MaltaPost is issuing a set of 5 stamps all illustrating traditional celebratory events. The festive stamps each carry a denomination of 0.45 and are intended to reinforce the atmosphere generated by The Nativity.
Two stamps of the set, depict Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas) better known as Father Christmas, depicted as a benevolent old man with a flowing white beard, wearing a red gown and cap. Santa is shown encircled within a traditional Maltese "qagtal-g(Honey-Ring) which is a local ringshaped sweet pastry with a honey-based filling.
A third stamp bears an illustration of Baby Jesus with a lamb in His arms, strengthening the Christmas message that Jesus is the "Lamb of God". A fourth stamp shows the Virgin Mary and Child Jesus, an important Christian symbol that portrays the perfect love between mother and child. The fifth stamp is an illustration of two altar boys, one delivering the traditional "Il-Priedka tal-Milied" (The Christmas Sermon) when a young altar-boy delivers the Christmas message during Christmas Eve Holy Mass. All stamp illustrations are the work of Maltese artist Marisa Attard.
