2016Christmas Festivities in Madeira (FDC SovS) - First Day Cover

Madeira Islands holds a particular charm during Christmas time, a festivity celebrated with joy, colour and a great deal of enthusiasm, an homage to the customs and traditions that very much honours the culture and heritage of its people. With this philatelic collection, the CTT Correios de Portugal (Portuguese Postal Operator) aims to portray the cultural and touristic traditions of Christmas in the Madeira, a celebration that is lived passionately by its locals. This occasion combines the typical religious traditions of this season with the merriment of the arrival of a new year, along with a rich cultural programme filled with ethnographic and artistic events. These festivities begin on 1st December, date that sets the official beginning of the Christmas illuminations in downtown Funchal. The Madeiran capital becomes a life-size Nativity scene, making the most of its natural amphitheatre setting, filled with floral decorations and multi-coloured lights.