First day of the commemorative stamp Christmas - organ nativity scene, Wagrain parish church, and the coil stamp Christmas - Christmas tree

The 75th season starts again at the Christkindl post office outside the Christkindl Hotel-Restaurant
The Christkindl post office has become a cherished institution for young and old alike, both domestically and internationally, as a Christmas greeting “via Christkindl” is something truly special. Thousands of letters sent to Christkindl by children every year are testament to this.
The idea of establishing a dedicated post office in the idyllic village with its unique name originated in 1946 from a member of the US occupation forces. Austrian Post implemented it just four years later. From 1950 onwards, greeting cards sent from Unterhimmel near Steyr were postmarked with a special Christmas postmark.
The small post office soon became overwhelmed with demand and had to move to a nearby inn during the Christmas season. Encouraged by its unexpected success, the Christmas post office quickly grew into a permanent international attraction, now drawing visitors from around the world.

Christmas – organ nativity scene, Wagrain parish church

The Holy Family
The Christmas stamp, enhanced with hot foil embossing, features the organ nativity scene in the parish church of Wagrain in Salzburg, depicting a sculpture of the Holy Family.

The Catholic parish church in Wagrain is dedicated to Saint Rupert. First documented in 1359, the Gothic church became a vicariate church in 1486 and a parish church in 1857. Wagrain Parish Church has a special connection to Christmas: Joseph Mohr, who penned the lyrics to the world’s most famous Christmas carol "Silent Night! Holy Night!" lived there as a vicar from 1837 until his death in 1848. His honorary grave is located in the churchyard.

In front of the gallery housing the Joseph Mohr Memorial Organ, the church’s central column displays the so-called Nativity Organ scene, created in 1952 by Salzburg sculptor Jakob Adlhart. It depicts Mary, Joseph, and the Christ Child, with a praying angel gazing upon the Holy Family. Jakob Adlhart (1898–1985) studied at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts under Anton Hanak. He primarily created sculptures for churches in Salzburg, Upper Austria, and southern Germany, including an expressionist crucifix for St. Peter’s Abbey in Salzburg in 1925. This crucifix, known as the Adlhart Cross, was featured in Sacred Art stamp series in 2010. Adlhart also designed Wagrain Parish Church’s high altar in 1976, along with several other statues. Notable among his works are the four marble mime masks from 1926, located outside the Small Festival Hall (now the Haus für Mozart) in Salzburg.

Christmas – Christmas tree

Artistic Christmas tree
An extraordinary Christmas tree adorns this Christmas stamp, revealing its nature only upon closer inspection.

The elegant Christmas tree is formed from the words of the first verse of "Silent Night! Holy Night!" written in festive script in various shades of green, the words are arranged in the characteristic shape of a fir tree, representing its trunk and branches. Decorative elements, such as typographical flourishes and colourful letters, stand out from the “branches,” symbolising baubles and garlands. The tree’s topper and the stamp’s lettering are in gold.

"Silent Night! Holy Night!" is perhaps the most famous Christmas carol in the world. Assistant priest Joseph Mohr wrote the text as a poem in 1816, and in 1818, he asked schoolteacher and organist Franz Xaver Gruber to compose a melody for it. On Christmas Eve that year, Mohr and Gruber performed the song together, accompanied by a guitar, in the church of St. Nikola in Oberndorf, Salzburg. From there, the carol spread worldwide, being translated into numerous languages and dialects. Since 2011, it has been listed as part of Austria’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. For many, singing this traditional carol on Christmas Eve is one of the highlights of the festive season. With this nostalgic stamp, you can add an especially atmospheric touch to your Christmas post.

When? 
29 November 2024, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., presentation at 10:00 a.m.

Where? 
Christkindl post office, Christkindlweg 6, 4411 Christkindl 

Group pictures:
Picture of presentation: © Österreichische Post AG

Group picture, left to right:

Harald Kunczier (head of branches business division at Austrian Post), Johann Hintermaier (episcopal vicar), Walter Oblin (CEO, Austrian Post), Thomas Stelzer (governor), student choir of Christkindl primary school, Steyr Christkind