La Befana Canadian Postage Stamp

There is a stamp in Canada that was issued for Christmas, but reminds me more of Halloween each time I see it. The stamp features “La Befana”, who was a kind hearted witch in Italian folklore.

Legend has it that La Befana was sweeping her floors when the Three Wise Men stopped by her home and asked her if she knew where the Christ child was. She did not know, but she invited the Three Wise men to stay the night with her. The next day she was invited to join them in their search for baby Jesus, but La Befana declined their invitation because she was too busy cleaning. Later she changed her mind and wanted to see the baby. Despite her extensive searching, she unfortunately was not able to find the Wise Men or baby Jesus.

The legend states that she travels around the world, via a broomstick, up and down chimneys on Christmas Eve searching for Baby Jesus. Along the way, she leaves gifts in stockings for the “holy child” in each home she visits. There are several other similar types of stories about La Befana and her Santa Clause like travels and gift giving adventures.

This Canadian postage stamp shows La Befana flying on her broom stick. It is comprised of seven different colors.

The United States - Year Of The Rat Stamp Part II Of II

In continuation to the post last Friday.

Each animal featured in the Chinese New Year calendar year are said to share characteristics with that humans born in those years. If you are born during the Year of the Rat, you are said to be a cleaver, ambitious, industrious and adaptable person. Millions of people around the world began celebrating the Year of the Rat in February.The stamp features festive red lanterns that represent the “Year of the Rat”. The color red is considered to be a symbol of luck. The lanterns are common decorations at Chinese celebrations, where they hang in rows. Kam Mak, is the art designer who is from New York City.

The following dates represent those people who are born in the Year of the Rat.

Feb. 18,1912 – Feb. 5, 1913 Feb. 5, 1924 – Jan. 24, 1925 Jan. 24, 1936 – Feb. 10, 1937 Feb. 10, 1948 – January 28, 1949 Jan. 28, 1960 – Feb. 14, 1961 Feb. 15, 1972 – Feb. 2, 1973 Feb. 2, 1984 – Feb. 19, 1985 Feb. 19, 1996 – Feb. 6, 1997

Famous people who are born in the Year of the Rat are: George Washington, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Prince Charles, Claude Monet, Antonio Banderas, Hugh Grant, Doris Day, David Duchovny, Donna Summer, Samuel L. Jackson, Sean Penn and Olivia Newton-John.

The Year of the Rat ends on January 25, 2009.

The United States Year Of The Rat Stamp Part I Of II

Many countries have produced stamps for the “Year of the Rat” and the United States is no different. This stamp is the first in a new series for the United States Postal Service that will run consecutively each year from February 2008 through February 2019. The stamps that will be offered will depict each of the animals that are represented in the Chinese Lunar New Year calendar, over that twelve year span. The Year of the Rat celebrations began on February 7, 2008. The first stamp issued was released on February 8, 2008 and was dedicated in San Francisco, California.

According to Chinese legend, the animals raced across a river to determine their order in the yearly cycle. The rat went across the river on the back of a strong ox and cleverly jumped ahead to win the race at the last minute. Hence the reason that the rat is the first animal represented in the cycle. The start of the Lunar New Year is celebrated by 25 percent of the world’s population. The Lunar New Year is celebrated by Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tibetan and Mongolian heritages worldwide. In the US, the New Year is often marked by parties and parades, just as the American New Year is celebrated.

Check back on Monday for the conclusion to this post.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Stamp

This Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stamp was issued in 1999. The stamp depicts Dr. King at the civil rights march in Washington, DC, where Dr. King delivered his “I Have A Dream.” speech to many onlookers.

Rumors have circulated around the internet that the stamp, and the series that it was issued in, is due to be discontinued and the remaining stock destroyed. The claim was that the United States Postal Service would do this because of lack of interest and lack of purchases by the general public. This rumor is completely false and nothing but an urban legend.

The series in question is one part of the “Celebrate the Century” series issued by the USPS. This series commemorates notable American people, places and events in the 20th Century. It is one of 15 souvenir sheet stamps notating special events in the 1960’s. The stamps featured in the series are: Barbie Doll, The Beatles, Ford Mustang, Green Bay Packers, “I Have A Dream”, The Integrated Circuit, Lasers, Man Walks on the Moon, The Peace Corps, Peace Symbol, Roger Maris, Star Trek, Super Bowl I, The Vietnam War and Woodstock.

Individual stamps are not available for purchase from the USPS, nor are the stamp sheets for this series because they are out of circulation. There is no threat of destruction. If you like the designs of this series and want to purchase them, some are still available from stamp collectors and vendors alike. The USPS produced wonderful stamps, separated by the decades, representing the entire 20th Century.

England's Christmas Stamp Controversy

In November, England released 2 sets of first and second class Christmas stamps to the public. One set consists of two images of the Madonna and Child and the other set has six different angels. The problem is, not many people know that the traditional Christian stamps, the Madonna and Child, even exist.

As soon as the stamps went into circulation, complaints began to arise that the post offices were not advertising or promoting the new Christian stamp. Some places in England report that they had to ask for the Madonna and Child stamp by name, even as the angels were being offered up constantly to customers. Some customers believe that not promoting the Christian stamps were part of a plot to end the Christian Christmas stamp by erroneously proving that there is simply no public demand for them. There was no real explanation as to why there were tens of millions of Madonna and Child stamps printed while there were hundreds of millions of the secular-themed stamps.

The Post Office is trying to end the confusion and stop accusations that are being made as to why they have not put much effort into promoting their Christian stamps this year. In the past, the Royal Mail alternated Christian stamps and secular themed Christmas stamps every other year. This year, the stamp was supposed to be Christian based. It was announced this week that it was always the plan to run both stamps at Christmas this year. According to the Royal Mail, 2007 has served as the trial run for issuing both types of stamps from this year forward. Their spokesman denied that they are now bowing to public complaints and pressure by saying that "this was always the plan for these stamps".

Winter Wonderland

What celebrator of Christmas doesn’t light up at the thought the holidays coming? With just the single mention of the joyous day, our eyes suddenly light up at the twinkle of the green, red, and white lights, icing decorative patterns of swirls around the rooftops and windows of all the houses. The smell of sweet, icy smoke is pouring from every chimney. You see fathers and sons, bundled up in their winter coats and boots and gloves and scarves and hats, chopping wood for the fireplace, their breath dancing in the air, above their work. Inside of every kitchen, there are all sorts of holiday goodies baking in the oven—sugar cookies, gingerbread men, cinnamon apple turnovers, pumpkin pies, roasted turkeys, sweet potatoes—almost anything you could imagine. Christmas records play as mothers and daughters snuggle together by the fire, drinking hot cocoa and cider, reading “The Night Before Christmas,” and eagerly awaiting bedtime, when they’re to close their eyes and wait for Santa Claus and his reindeer to come clip-clopping on the rooftop. The anticipation of a present-filled Christmas morning is the magical tranquilizer for children, and it only works on Christmas Eve, and requires only a warm, cozy bed, a goodnight kiss, and a big plate of milk and cookies for Santa. Oh, Christmas, how we dream of you so.

Spread the joy of the holiday season to everyone you know with our French “Meilleurs Voeux” (Best Wishes) Winter Holidays collection. These self-adhesive stamps feature joyous little penguins, reindeer, snowmen, and polar bears, all enjoying the fun of a winter wonderland. You can get them here, and start mailing out your Christmas cards, beginning with your letter to Mr. Claus!

The Year of the Monkey

The Chinese Zodiac is not only a significantly important tradition of the Chinese culture, but it is also a popular belief, and even a trend, in many countries, all over the world. Most people know of it simply through their local Chinese food restaurant’s place mat, or maybe even through a brief reference in a kung fu movie. Not many truly know the significance behind the actual meaning of the cute little animals depicted on the oriental calendars, such as the monkey portrayed on our authentic Year of the Monkey stamp from 1980.

The Chinese Zodiac is separated into twelve parts, each having its own unique animal with unique characteristics and symbolisms. These animals include the year of the ox, rat, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar. People who are born in the year of the monkey, in Zodiac tradition, are commonly known for being very astute when dealing with planning some sort of plot, especially in cases of mischievous planning. Supposedly, one who is born in this particular time frame is keen on his or her surroundings and is born with the innate ability to make quick and clever decisions when needed to do so.

Whether or not your birthday falls in the year of the monkey, this genuine, mint-condition Chinese stamp is an ingeniously clever addition to any collection.

Textured Stamps Highlight Lunar New Year Animals

County Stamp Center's featured new item this month is this unique Lunar New Year sheetlet from Hong Kong. Wonderfully designed, the four-set sheet features the animals of the Lunar New Year. Whimsically portrayed, each animal stands out against bright background colors on specially textured "flocked" paper. We're offering free shipping on this very special issue. You can purchase it for only $36.56 at County Stamp Center; click the post title to order.

The Chinese lunar calendar is a complicated combination of astrology, astronomy and philosophy that has historically been used to predict the future. The 60-year cycle combines five earth elements -- wood, fire, earth, metal and water -- with a cycle of 12 earthly branches represented by animal zodiac signs: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Each 60-year cycle always starts with Wood Rat and ends with Water Pig. The emphasis of Yin (the snake) which occurs in odd numbered years and Yang (the dragon) occurring in even numbered years adds further complications. The current cycle began in the year 1984.

Chinese legend has it that the zodiac animals and their order were decided by a race across a river and through a woods to the throne of the Jade Emperor. Devious and wily, the rat took advantage of the other animals to reach the throne first. The lazy pig was last after stopping to lunch and take a nap. Their performances during the race to the Jade Emperor are used to define the characteristics of each zodiac animal. Read the entire fascinating legend on Wikipedia. Click this link, then scroll down to Zodiac Origin Stories.

Visit the County Stamp Center website for all your philatelic needs.

Wear Your Milk Mustache With Pride! It's National Dairy Month!

In honor of National Dairy Month, today we honor the cow. Without cows there would be no cold creamy ice cream cones, no thick delicious milk shakes, no after school milk and cookies, and no milk mustaches!

There are 1.4 billion head of cattle in the world today. With 400 million cows, India, where cows are revered, hosts the largest cattle population in the world. There are twice as many cows in Africa (200 million) as there are in the US (100 million). Brazil and China each have about 150 million head of cattle, but there are only about 130 million in all of Europe.

In the US, 90% of the dairy cows are Holsteins, but other breeds can be found on dairy farms, including Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Jersey and Milking Shorthorn. The largest producers of milk in the world are India (91,940 tonnes) and the US (80, 265). That's a lot of ice cream!

The gentle brown-eyed cow is one of the featured barnyard animals in this delightful 2004 souvenir sheet from France; click the post title to order. You'll find a wide variety of stamps at County Stamp Center. Check out our website to see what's new. Visit County Stamp Center for all your philatelic needs.

Fly the Flag With Pride! It's Flag Day!

Today is Flag Day, a day to proudly fly the American flag in all it's glory. The American flag has gone through 26 permutations since the first red, white and blue was marched into battle by the colonists during the Revolution.

Issued in 2000 to commemorate America's bicentennial, this stamp set shows 20 different versions of Old Glory that have flown over our country. Click the post title to order from County Stamp Center, and visit our website to view other stamps honoring our flag.

It didn't take long for the fledgling country to settle on a flag design. The first flag, the Grand Union Flag, which flew from December 1775 to June 1777, featured a Union Jack where the stars now appear and 13 alternating red and white stripes, one for each colony. On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution which forever set the pattern of the United States' flag:

"Resolved, That the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white, that the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."

A popular story credits Betsy Ross with sewing the circular arrangement of 13 stars on the country's first official flag from a sketch drawn by George Washington. As the number of states grew, so did the number of stars, necessitating revisions to the arrangement of stars in the union (the blue square). New flags debuted on the first July 4 following admission of a new state. The 48-star flag was in use the longest, from 1912 to 1959. The current 50-star flag has flown over our country since July 4, 1960, following Hawaii's admittance to statehood.

We at County Stamp Center urge you to fly your flag today and honor all that it stands for.

On Memorial Day We Honor Those Who Served

This weekend will be filled with Memorial Day parades and solemn ceremonies honoring our war dead. We'll stand and salute the flag as the veterans march past. Some will be old and bent, others will struggle past in wheelchairs or on crutches, some will seem far too young.

At County Stamp Center we thank the men and women of our armed forces who protect our country and fight for freedom at home and abroad. We honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting our country. They fought courageously so that we might all be free. They live on in our memories. To all, you have our enduring thanks.

Note: The first day cover pictured is of the World War II Memorial in Washington DC. All cachets are individually hand drawn, hand painted, numbered and signed by award winning artist Nirlay Kundu. Click the post title for more information.

Honor Mom with a Favorite Stamp This Mother's Day

Mother's Day is this weekend. You may celebrate the occasion by taking your best gal out to brunch or giving her a bouquet of posies. Jewelry is always a winner, way above more practical gifts like new slippers, note cards or (horrors!) the ultimate no no, a new vacuum. Trust me on this one, no matter how powerful, how practical, how expensive a new vacuum is, even if she's told you she wants one, Mom DOES NOT want it on Mother's Day. On Mother's Day, Mom wants to be pampered and loved and perhaps a little bit lazy.

If you want to give Mom a thoughtful gift that lasts, give her a framed set of stamps that depict something she enjoys. It will be a gift she cherishes forever. At County Stamp Center you'll find hundreds of stamps to choose from: exotic flowers, movie stars, gorgeous hats, period costumes, Disney princesses, famous paintings, Betty Boop, great dogs, cozy cats, colorful birds, rare gems -- and all at prices you can easily afford, even if it's the Hope diamond!

To order the 2006 Mother's Day commemorative stamp issued by Syria, click the post title. Visit the County Stamp Center website and use our unique Quick Search feature to find the perfect gift for Mom this year.