2012Christmas - First Day Cover

Christmas is one of the most important and one of the most joyous Christian holidays, that is celebrated both by the Orthodox and Catholic believers. The difference is only in the date of the celebration; the Orthodox celebrates in on January 7th, and the Catholic on December 25th, but its message remains the same – the message of peace and love.

We celebrate Christmas for three days. It is primarily family holiday, and the customs in connection with Christmas are numerous. On the day before Christmas and Christmas Eve, the yule log is being brought into house, cresset lit and hay with hidden candies, prunes, walnuts, sugar and coins, spread all over the house. The hay is a symbol of the manger in which Christ was born. The yule log represents longevity and substance of Christianity, as well as of the warmth of the love Christ brought to us when he was born and arrived to the Earth. On the very day of the Christmas, early in the morning the church bells of all Orthodox temples are ringing, announcing the nativity of Christ. People go to church to attend Christmas liturgy and they all greet each other by "Christ has been born" and "Indeed he has".

Motif on the stamp face value 22,00 RSD: Nativity of Christ, icon from the iconostas of the upper church in Sremski Karlovci dedicated to the Presentation of the Holy Mother of God, the work of iconostasis Dimitrije Bačević from 1760 to 1761.

Motif on the stamp face value 46,00 RSD: Nativity of Christ, icon from the iconostas of the Lower Church in Sremski Karlovci dedicated to Holy Apostles Peter and Paul; the work of iconostasis Dimitrije Bratoglić from 1828 to1831.

Motif on the envelope: Nativity of Christ, icon from the iconostas of the Orthodox Cathedral in Sremski Karlovci dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the work of iconostasis Teodor Kračun and Jacob Orfelin from 1780 to 1781.

Church in Sremski Karlovci dedicated to Saint Nicholas; iconostasis by Teodor Kračun and Jakov Orfelin from 1780–1781.