Christmas

This year's Christmas issue comes in a classic design with a velvety yet bold background colour. The festive special stamps, enhanced by elements in gold foil embossing, will once again carry numerous private and business Christmas greetings from Liechtenstein out into the world this year. "Christmas Gift" (face value: CHF 1.00), "Christmas Mail" (face value: CHF 1.20), "Christmas Tree" (face value: CHF 1.90) and "Christmas Bell" (face value: CHF 2.50) are available on sheets of 20 self-ad- hesive stamps.

The unifying element of all the stamps are wreaths made from green branches. These are often seen in many different variations, especially during Advent and Christmas, and decorate living rooms or serve as a welcome at front doors. The wreath symbolises the infinity of time, as it has no beginning and no end. Originally, people wove wreaths in autumn with a bit of green as a contrast to the dull landscape. At a time when hunger and cold were the greatest threats, this symbol was used to express the hope of surviving the harsh winter unscathed.