On Wednesday, November 6, Posti will release Christmas stamps designed by Virpi Pekkala. The stamps feature cheerful elves, characters that are familiar to most Finns.
If anyone knows Christmas, it’s Virpi Pekkala. She has loved Christmas since childhood and created Christmas illustrations for thousands of postcards, wrapping papers, textiles and the Christmas stamps for 2003, for instance.
In this year’s Christmas stamps, elves celebrate Christmas in the traditional Finnish way, including Christmas sauna and Christmas concerts.
The stories behind the Christmas stamps
Virpi Pekkala is known for always having an idea or a story behind her illustrations. This is how she describes the Christmas stamps:
The Christmas sauna bathers stamp shows an elf family in their bathrobes going to the sauna across a twilit snowy landscape. “The father leads the way carrying a lantern and the mother follows with towels. An elf boy marches enthusiastically in the middle and holds a birch sauna whisk.”
The Christmas concert stamp depicts an elf boy and an elf girl singing to their hearts’ content. “A cat and a dog watched the performance for a while before joining the choir. The voices of the quartet can be heard far in the dusky winter evening.”
The Winter wonders stamp pictures a snowman, rabbits and the Northern Lights glowing in the sky. “It is so cold that even the snowman has a knit cap, scarf and mittens. The bunnies are not admiring the Northern Lights but staring at the snowman’s carrot nose.”
The Christmas sauna bathers stamp booklet contains 20 Christmas greeting no-value indicator stamps.
The Christmas concert stamp is a domestic no-value indicator stamp that will be issued as a 10-stamp sheet and a 5-stamp booklet.
The Winter wonders stamp sheet contains 10 international no-value indicator stamps and Priority labels.
The Snowflakes stamp is great for all winter greetings
On November 6, Posti will also release the landscape-oriented stamp Snowflakes that is a great option for all winter greetings. The silvery stamp is designed by AD Paula Salviander. The Snowflakes stamp sheet contains 10 domestic no-value indicator stamps.
First day event at Helsinki Main Post Office on November 6, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The first day event will be organized at the Helsinki Main Post Office (Elielinaukio 2) on Wednesday, November 6, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. New stamps, first day covers and other stamp products will be on sale at the event, and visitors can get first day postmarks on their items. Virpi Pekkala and Paula Salviander will be present to sign their works from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
