Angels, the messengers of God, have become an integral part of the Christmas story, because an angel was sent to tell Mary of her chosen role in the birth of baby Jesus. Nearly all world postal administrations have featured angels in Christmas stamp and stationery issues, some more than once.
Bodiless, immortal spirits, angels have a place in the traditional Jewish and Mohammedan religions as well as in Christianity. Throughout the Bible angels appear at important moments, sometimes as protective guardians, but more often as a messenger from God. Angels have appeared in many guises on Christmas stamps enough to form a one frame exhibit, if any reader is so inclined. A simple plan could be: 1. The Christmas Story; 2. Christmas Carols and Hymns; 3. Musical Angels and 4. Christmas Decorations.
1. The Christmas Story
The story of the birth of Jesus Christ is contained in the gospels of apostles Matthew and Luke, two of the four Gospels of the New Testament. Both are brief, Matthew particularly so. Between them, however, Matthew and Luke provide the foundation from which artists over nearly 1,700 years have created the imagery of the Nativity with which we are now familiar. As there was no colourful background detail in either Gospel version, there was ample scope for additional embellishment to be given by others in both pictorial and written form.
The first angel to appear in the Christmas story (Luke’s Gospel) is the Angel Gabriel when he announced to Mary that she would give birth to the ‘Son of God’. There have been many stamps and items of postal stationery issued featuring the Annunciation and many of it items feature well known paintings. A pictorial problem which all artists painting the Annunciation have to overcome is how to paint an expressive gap. The subject calls for two figures meeting – yet not touching and for the passing from one to the other of a simple, but profound, message. “You shall bring forth a son and call his name Jesus”. Paradoxically, the gap beween the two figures of the Archangel Gabriel and Mary is the crucial part of the composition, because it is through that space that the holy message is passing. The space between them wiIl ideally contain objects or shapes which will help carry the eye gently across it from Gabriel to Mary. Often Gabriel carries white Iilies, or a vase of white lilies is in the background. The lily is the symbol of the Virgin’s purity and also an indication that the Annunciation took place in the spring.
There are many stamps that feature paintings by well known artists on ‘”The Annunciation” eg Spain 1956 (Scott 852), “The Annunciation” by Cavallini Vatican City 1956 any of C.25, 28 and 31. The Annunciation by da Vinci any of Nos. C.26, 29 and 32 of 1956 (Vatican City) and Vatican City 1956 any of C24, 27 and 30. 1962 Vatican City artist F Vakke C.45 and 46, 1969 C.33 and 34, artist Fra Angelico. An Hungarian issue of 1968 featured a painting by Bemardo Strozzi (1682- 1644) depicting Gabriel holding a lily. The Cavallini stamps mentioned above show Gabriel holding a lily as does Argentina 1944 (Scott 519). France 1970 (Scott 1273) features the “Annunciation” by a Primitive Painter of Savoy where the artist has used a scroll to separate the figures. See also Portugal 1962 (883-84). Other stamps featuring either ‘St Gabriel’ or ‘The Annunciation’ are listed in various world catalogues.
The second appearance relating to ‘angels’ (according to Luke’s Gospel) tells how the ‘Angel of the Lord’ appeared to the “shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night” of the birth of Jesus Christ. Then a multitude of angels proclaimed “Glory to God….towards men”. This scene has also been depicted in famous paintings as well as by modern stamp and postmark designers.
While not actually in the story, the ‘Virgin and Child’ are often depicted with angels. One of the favourite items in my Christmas collection is a Portuguese ‘Boas Festas’ card featuring the ‘Virgin with Baby Jesus’ surrounded by angels.
There are also stamp designs showing ‘The Holy Family’ surrounded with angels, or angels surrounding the crib. See New Zealand 1968 (Scott 414), Monaco 1966 (Scott 630) and Vatican City 1960 (Scott 292-294) below.
The last time we hear of angels in the Christmas story (according to Matthew’s Gospel) is the angel waking Joseph and telling him to take Mary and the Babe and flee into Egypt. lssued stamps that feature this part of the story are Switzerland 1966 (Pro Patria issue Scott B356), Swaziland 1978 (Scott 315) and the Great Britain Christmas 1991 28p stamp.
2. Christmas Carols and Hymns
Angels sang the first carol at Christ’s Nativity. The word ‘carol’ comes from the old French term for a ring dance and many early carols were simply new words to old folk songs and dances. Carols were, and are, simple, joyful and memorable songs in the common tongue, their words homely and their images vivid and down to earth. Many of the most popular of today’s carols and hymns feature angels such as ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’, which has been shown on both stamps and postal stationery. Stamps I found in the catalogue were Christmas Island (SG 32), Ghana (SG 822-7), Montserrat (SG 415), New Zealand 1987, Guernsey MS (SG 821-92) and a Christmas 1988 British Aerogramme.
“Come All Ye Faithful” is a favourite hymn of Christmas Church services and is shown on Australia (SG 431), Ghana (SG 877) and Guernsey (MS 381-92) and a Gibraltar 1993 Christmas stamp. “Angels we have heard on high” was featured by Cocos (Keeling) Islands in 1981 (Scott 75-77). “While shepherds watched their Flocks at Night’ is shown on St Vincent 1977 (SG 544-9), Chrisimas Island (Scott 208), Great Britain (SG 1202) and Guernsey (MS 381-92).
3. Musical Angels
Many Christmas issues feature angels playing various musical instruments such as the flute, the lyre, the lute, harp and trumpet. One of my favourite trumpeting angels is the one depicted on Uruguay 1980 (Scott 1090). Check also Peru 1961 (Scott 481 – trumpeting angels) and Peru 1979 (Scott 707), depicting an angel with lute. In 1977 Norway issued a lettersheet featuring an attractive angel with trumpet, while a 1980 Swedish booklet stamp feature an angel with trumpet. See also the 1993 Australian Christmas aerogramme which is very attractive. Great Britain issued an attractive set of stamps featuring angels playing various instruments. Check Great Britain 1975 (Scott 758-61) and San Marino 1988 Christmas which shows one angel with a violin and another with a mandolin. There are quite a number of musical angels listed in world catalogues.
4. Christmas Decorations
The Nurernberg Angel. For centuries, Christmas markets have been held in Germany during Advent and one of the most famous is “The Christ Child” market at Nuremberg wnich ranks as Germany’s oldest and most famous market, dating back to 1639. Originally a child dressed as Christmas Angel opened the market, but since 1948 a ‘Christ Child’ chosen every two years performs the opening ceremony. The ‘gold foil angel’ from Nuremberg has now almost become as much as a symbol of the Germans Christmas as the Christmas Tree itseif. Its origins are the subject of many conflicting legends. Nowadays, the angels are made in all shapes and sizes with flowing hair, delicately robes in gold foil, decorated with gold braid, the costume being remniscent of the 18th Century local Franconian peasant costume. Germany has issued a special postmark to commemorate the fair since the early 30s. A modern West German postal stationery item featuring a 1902 market and the angel has been issued probably around 1985.
Angels as Christmas tree decorations have beenhard to find, although a 1986 36c stamp of Panama (Scott 702), features a Christmas tree that appears to have an angel on its top. Costa Rica 1966 “Christmas Ornaments” issue featured an angel on Scott RA 29. Great Britain features a set of musical angels that appear to be decorations on its 1972 Christmas issue (Scott 680-682). Australia also issued a set of decorative angels in 1985 (Scott 967-970), while Finland issued a stamp in 1986 featuring angels with garlands.
The aerogrammes of both Australia and Great Britain feature angels either by themselves or as art of a nativity scene. I do not have the space to list the Higgins and Gage Catalogue numbers in this article. For those interested in collecting Christmas stamps, I would suggest joining the Christmas Philatelic Club of USA (affilatad with the Amencan Topical Association), Membership Chairman, Mr E Punkey 5630 N Greenwood Blvd, Spokane WA 99205-7535 USA or The COROS (Collectors of Religion on Stamps), C/- Verna Shackleton, 425 N Linwood Ave #110, Appleton WI 54914, USA. Both of these societies have interesting bi-monthly magazines that I have found to be excellent reference sources over the years. I would like to thank those readers who have written to me during the year and wish all readers a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful Christmas holiday season.
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