Iceland is a busy country today (November 3, 2005) as they release not one, not two, but three sets of stamps. Featured are a Christmas booklet, a pair of Christmas stamps, and a pair of bird stamps.
The Christmas booklet of ten stamps and the pair of Christmas stamps come from designer Hany Hadaya. The booklet is in a festive red background with an apple, which is one of the motifs for this years Christmas stamps. It also has the word Joy in gold letters. The pair of Christmas stamps have the identical stamp to the booklet, along with another stamp that has a holiday green background and the other motif for this year…a Christmas Tree.
Both are simple, yet strong symbols of Christmas for Iceland. In fact these symbols are cherished by Icelanders. Iceland Post states “The apple refers to the not so distant past when fruits were considered a rarity in the country. Shipments of red and fragrant Macintosh apples arrived from the United States in time to cheer up both children and grown-ups before Christmas. The present stamps will no doubt rekindle memories since it is not only intended for the eyes but also for the nostrils. The stamps give forth the traditional fragrance of pinetrees and apple with subtle hints of cinnamon. ”
The third set of stamps released today are of two birds. The Graylag (Anser anser) and Starlings (sturnus vulgaris). The Graylag is Iceland’s most common species of geese. They migrate to Scotland during the winter months. Starlings are a relatively new species to Iceland. The first information about Starlings came around 1940. Starlings arrived in the capital area around 1960 and are now some of the most common birds in the area.
