Christmas – Christmas tree 15.10.2024

A decorated Christmas tree is, for many people, an important part of Christmas celebrations. Moreover, it is also a lovely motif for a Christmas stamp.

However, this stamp does not depict a fir tree with baubles and candles; instead, the tree is formed from the words of the first verse of the song "Silent Night! Holy Night!" In shades of green, the text is arranged in a festive font in the shape of a Christmas tree, with coloured letters and flourishes representing decorations and garlands. The text of the song was written by assistant priest Joseph Mohr in 1816 as a poem. In 1818, the village schoolteacher and organist Franz Xaver Gruber composed a melody for it, and on Christmas Eve of that year, the two performed the song together in the church of St. Nikola in Oberndorf, Salzburg. "Silent Night! Holy Night!" is now one of the most famous Christmas carols and is part of Austria's intangible cultural heritage.

Value: 0.95 euros
First day of issue: 29.11.2024
First day: 5602 Wagrain
Stamp size: 32.00 x 39.00 mm 
Perforation measurement: 13 x 13¼
Graphic design: Anita Kern
Printing: Cartor Security Printers
Printing technique: offset printing
Quantity: 695,000 commemorative stamps on rolls of 50 units each

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